On Dec. 2, the government announced draft revisions to the implementation schedule for the Basic Plan on Space Policy. In light of the growing number of private-sector satellites in space, the revised schedule includes plans to formulate guidelines in FY2021 offering private companies a list of measures to prevent cyberattacks targeting their satellite data. 

Recently, more and more startup companies are eagerly pursuing business opportunities using earth observational data collected by numerous mini-satellites.

As concerns grow over cyberattack attempts on such satellites and data receivers, the government decided to provide private-sector participants with a list of measures to take against such attacks. The guidelines will be revised as needed.

Other security measures will be strengthened as well. Specifically, the implementation schedule addresses the issue of Chinese and Russian hypersonic gliding vehicles (HGVs), which cannot be blocked by the current missile defense system. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) is to conduct a study on a system that uses numerous small satellites in space to detect and track the HGVs. Also included are a new plan for asteroid explorer Hayabusa-2 and rules on business operations in orbit, such as retrieving the growing amount of space debris.

The implementation schedule is the roadmap for realizing the government’s Basic Plan on Space Policy, which states specific development goals and target dates. The schedule is revised annually, usually in December, by the Space Development Strategy Headquarters chaired by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. This will be the first revision under the Suga administration.