Space next frontier for NZ, Japan

Co-operation plan aims to boost this country’s space programme

The Government wants to bolster its space programme and is cosying up to the multibillion-dollar Japanese space sector in a bid to strengthen the two countries’ “bilateral space engagement”.

This comes as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to expand their outer space co-operation and strategy in September.

An August ministerial briefing — obtained under the Official Information Act — reveals officials were working behind the scenes before Ardern’s trip to strengthen New Zealand and Japan’s “space partnership”.

Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods agreed that ahead of Ardern’s trip to Japan officials would begin work on negotiating the partnership programme with the country’s space agency.

The briefing said a space partnership between the countries was “an area of potential”.

“The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (as the New Zealand Space Agency) has recently applied to join the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA) Kibo-ABC outreach programme, creating opportunities for New Zealand students to compete in international space competitions,” the briefing said.

It added that New Zealand researchers have proposed using the exploration agency’s technology on the International Space Station for “advanced research”.

Japan’s space sector is largely dominated by its Government. The country’s space industry is valued at just under US$3.3 billion ($5.18 billion) — JAXA and other Government entities make up two-thirds of that. JAXA’s 2018 budget was US$1.7 billion.

The briefing said New Zealand’s bilateral space engagement with Japan has been growing steadily over the years and there was scope for further

Government plans will follow Rocket Lab’s work in getting NZ into orbit.

development. Officials suggested that when Ardern met with Abe, “space co-operation” should be added to their meeting agenda.

“Prime Minister Ardern could raise New Zealand’s interests in negotiating a space partnership arrangement with Japan during her meeting with Prime Minister Abe,” the briefing said.

And, according to the New Zealand-Japan Summit Joint statement, that was exactly what Ardern did.

“They [Ardern and Abe] expressed a desire to expand space cooperation between the two countries. For this purpose, they encouraged discussions on a possible partnership arrangement on bilateral space cooperation.”

This week Woods announced New Zealand will get its own space mission control centre, with the Government putting $26 million behind a satellite to combat climate change.

The Government will be contributing to a joint mission with the United States’ Environmental Defence Fund to launch a state-of-the-art methane tracking satellite.

“It will enable us to grow our capabilities in the space sector and participate in future space missions,” Woods said.