Japan Defense Ministry gets access to small radar satellite for 1st time

TOKYO (Kyodo) — The Japanese Defense Ministry said a Tokyo-based startup recently put a small all-weather radar satellite into orbit, giving the ministry access to the type of images the orbiter captures for the first time.

The satellite, launched on Aug. 3 by Synspective Inc., can gather data from the Earth’s surface regardless of weather conditions or time of day and has been upgraded to meet national security purposes, the ministry said.

The ministry will use the satellite to demonstrate that commercial satellites can be used to capture timely images that will enhance Japan’s information-gathering and analyzing capabilities, it said.

“Collecting data (on Earth) from outer space is extremely vital to continuously and accurately grasp the (military) intentions and abilities of Japan’s surrounding nations,” the ministry said in a statement, apparently referencing China’s intensifying military activities and North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.

“We will continue to put effort into drastically expanding the usage of space systems for national security by cooperating with the private sector,” the ministry said.

In the government’s long-term National Security Strategy guidelines, updated in late 2022, Japan pledged to strengthen its “response capabilities in the field of space security” and utilize civilian space technologies in national defense.

For the project, which started in April, the ministry has allocated 1.4 billion yen ($9.5 million) for fiscal 2024, a ministry official said.

The government is not directly involved in operating the satellite, which orbits about 500 to 600 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, and the satellite is not dedicated purely to defense purposes, the official added.

The satellite employs “synthetic aperture radar” technology, known as SAR, which can detect surface features even in the dark, as well as through clouds and smoke, by bouncing radar signals off the ground and interpreting the echo.

Traditional optical satellites cannot clearly observe targets under clouds or in dark conditions due to their reliance on sunlight.

In addition to the Defense Ministry, the Cabinet Office has also been engaged in demonstration projects to use images from small SAR satellites for multiple purposes, such as observing natural disasters and infrastructure management.