In June 2026, the Japanese Diet passed a bill to amend the Space Activities Act (the "SAA"), the basic law governing private space activities in Japan. The amendment bill was eventually approved pursuant to recommendations made during discussions held in 2024 by the subcommittee on the review of the SAA, as well as discussions held in 2025 by the working group on amendments to the SAA. These amendments have been passed against the backdrop of increasingly advanced and diversified space activities, and in light of recent international developments.

The core of the amendments is the expansion of the scope of launch regulations. Under the previous legal regime, the principal target of regulation was the act of launching artificial satellites, but under the amended law, launches of "space rockets" in general are now covered regardless of whether they carry an artificial satellite. The amended definition retains the existing rule that, where a space rocket carries a payload, the statutory concept of the "launch of a space rocket" extends through the separation of the payload after the rocket has reached the requisite speed and altitude. In line with this change, the criteria applied for the granting of licenses were also expanded and clarified to cover such matters as the appropriateness of the launch purpose, the compliance of rockets and launch facilities with safety standards, the suitability of the purpose of use and the structure of payloads, the prevention of harmful contamination of outer space, and the applicant’s capability to execute their launch plan. The amended law also states that launch operators may not carry satellites or other space objects other than those covered by the license granted to them, thereby creating a framework that seeks both to promote new private-sector space transportation and to ensure public safety.

The amended law also introduces a new conformity certification system for pre-launch satellites and other space objects. In light of the possibility that the diversification of launch objects can potentially contribute to the increase in harmful contamination in outer space, this system is designed to certify in advance whether the structure of satellites and other objects prior to launch conforms to standards for preventing contamination and ensuring safety. Applicants must submit documentation attesting, among other things, to their ownership or authority to manage the object of the launch, its destination or placement, and the physical structure of said object; certification is then granted if conformity with the relevant standards is recognized, but it may also be revoked in cases of a fraudulent application or subsequent non-compliance with the standards.

The expanded definition of launch is also reflected in the statutory damages regime. The provisions imposing strict liability on launch operators in the event of falling rockets and similar mishaps have been revised accordingly: the scope of the operator’s strict liability and rights of recourse, as well as the principle of concentration of liability, i.e., the channeling of liability to the operator, have all been reorganized in line with the new definition. As for damage caused by falling satellites and similar events, the situations in which strict liability applies to launch operators have now been expanded to cover damage arising from the launch of space objects in general, rather than being limited to the case of artificial satellites.

On the other hand, matters such as human spaceflight, reusable rockets, and future space transportation systems have been left to future regulations, review standards, and further deliberation. Continued dialogue between the government and the private sector is expected to accelerate the development of a framework better aligned with actual practice in the private space sector.