Japan and Germany pursue space autonomy to reduce external dependence
During a Tokyo visit, Andreas Bovenschulte said Japan and Germany should build independent space links and closer defence cooperation to cut reliance on others.
- A German official has urged Japan and Germany to expand space cooperation to reduce their reliance on external providers, specifically citing SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
- The collaboration aims to create an alternative to dominant satellite communication networks like Starlink, with satellite services identified as a priority area for joint work.
- This push for autonomy extends to the defense sector, driven by the sentiment that countries can no longer rely on the United States for security as they once did.
Bremen Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte has urged Japan and Germany to expand cooperation in space, saying both countries need greater autonomy in the sector to reduce reliance on SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
"We cannot be dependent on what Elon Musk provides," Bovenschulte told Jiji Press in Tokyo on Tuesday (May 26).
He added, "We urgently need an alternative...to (SpaceX's satellite communication network) Starlink."
Bremen, in northern Germany, is a key centre of the country’s aerospace industry and is considered one of Europe’s major space hubs. Bovenschulte identified satellite services as a priority area for joint work with Japan.
"Satellite business is very, very important," he said, expressing hope that cooperation with Japan could help challenge the current situation in which the US entrepreneur virtually dominates space communications.
As part of his Japan itinerary, Bovenschulte visited the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, which signed a 2022 agreement to deepen cooperation with the German Aerospace Centre.
He also pointed to defence, another sector of focus for Bremen, saying, "You can't rely as much on the United States (for security) that you could...years ago."
Bovenschulte stressed that countries should avoid political dependence on others in defence matters.
"I think we need (Japan-Germany) cooperation in developing the means for our mutual defence," he said, adding that such cooperation would help "reduce costs."
Bovenschulte also serves as president of the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper chamber of parliament. During his visit, he met Masakazu Sekiguchi, president of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan’s Diet.
According to Bovenschulte, the two sides agreed to "work even closer to gain an autonomous way and an autonomous path to space, and so that we are not dependent on other countries."
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
