EDITORIAL | Artemis Lunar Program to Herald Not Just Japan's Astronauts

Fifty-five years ago that Neil Armstrong became the first human being to step upon the face of the moon. He was a member of the US Apollo 11 lunar mission.

A commemorative plaque attached to the descent stage of the lunar module "Eagle" remains on the moon. It reads: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, AD. We came in peace for all mankind." 

The Apollo program grew out of the heated rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union at that time. That is why it mentions "peace for all mankind." 

Today's Focus Beyond the Moon

Humanity has now once again turned its attention to the moon. And the US-led Artemis program officially calls for a moon landing by a Japanese astronaut. Hopefully, this will serve as a reaffirmation that man's venturing into space has a significance that transcends conflicts among nations. 

Over the past half-century, science and technology have made tremendous strides. But only 12 astronauts involved in various Apollo program missions have left their footprints somewhere other than on Earth.

With the Artemis program, the US is looking beyond lunar exploration to send a man to Mars. 

For Japan, the main purpose of participating in the Artemis project is different. Its primary motivation is to enable Japan to successfully develop and operate a manned lunar rover to demonstrate its technological capabilities and establish its own presence in manned space activities. That goes beyond having a US rocket and spacecraft take Japanese astronauts to land on the moon.

China is also striving to become a power in space that can rival the US. It has successfully managed to bring back samples from the far side of the moon using an unmanned lunar probe. 

That probe also carried technical equipment on behalf of the European Space Agency, France, and Italy. One motivation for space development efforts is to demonstrate national prestige. In that respect, nothing has changed since the days of the Apollo program, when the US and USSR competed for supremacy. 

Defense and Economic Implications

However, today space development has a more direct impact on defense and the economy compared to a half century ago. We cannot deny the significance of space exploration. However, we must be wary of China's growing power as well as its cozying up to Europe. 

For Japan, it will be important to base its operations on cooperation with America, while also coordinating with like-minded European nations and India. In that way, we can establish a solid foothold in this sector. Hopefully, that will effectively counter Chinese hegemonic designs and the competition between Beijing and Washington. 

After the end of the Cold War, the US and Russia opted for cooperation on the International Space Station (ISS) project. And even after US-Russia relations deteriorated in 2014, the spirit of harmony remained in the ISS program. Koichi Wakata served as commander of the International Space Station in 2014. He and the two American and three Russian astronauts aboard the ISS at the time maintained a cooperative relationship. 

Thus, he proved that Japan too could contribute to "peace for all mankind."

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(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun