In May 2008, the Diet enacted a basic law on space without rousing sufficient public debate. Representing a drastic departure from Japan's traditional "peaceful purposes only" space policy, the law paves the way for extensive use of space for security purposes, especially missile defense.
A panel at the government's space development strategy headquarters headed by Prime Minister Taro Aso has announced a draft of the basic plan on space. Conspicuous in the draft is wider use of space by the Self-Defense Forces.
The draft calls for increasing the number of information- gathering satellites from three currently to four within five years and developing advanced sensors and cameras for early- warning satellites in a geostationary orbit to detect a ballistic missile launch. Apparently behind this call is North Korea's launch in early April of a long-range rocket ostensibly for putting a satellite in orbit.