Next Steps for Japan-U.S. Cooperation in Space

The space domain is increasingly important to Japan and the United States for both military security and economic prosperity. While the early years of the space era were dominated by the United States and the Soviet Union, today more than 50 countries own and operate satellites, and virtually every country relies on space-based capabilities. As a result, the space environment has become more crowded, with over 1,260 satellites currently in orbit. Space has also become a key enabler for the projection of military power, allowing mobile forces to be networked over greater distances and across all regions of the globe. More than 20 nations now have military satellites, making space an important domain for modern military forces.