JAPAN-U.S. SPACE RELATIONS DURING THE 1970S: AFTER THE EXCHANGE OF NOTES

摘要

The 1969 Japan-U.S. Exchange of Notes on space cooperation, and its subsequent modifications in 1976 and 1980, facilitated Japanese acquisition of space technology, especially launch-related, in a relatively short period of time. The Japanese N-I, N-II, and H-I rockets were developed on the basis of the U.S. Thor-Delta rocket technology transferred through these agreements. However, the development of Japanese space technology was not only accelerated by these agreements, but also restricted by them. This paper examines Japan-U.S. space relations during the 1970s from the perspective of both diplomatic and space history, and looks specifically at how the Exchange of Notes and its subsequent modifications were concluded and implemented by Japan and the U.S. During the 1970s, while Japan started to develop its new indigenous space technology by learning U.S. advanced technology through the Japan-U.S. agreements, the U.S. completed its policy over international space cooperation. The 1970s was the second stage in the history of Japan-U.S. space relations, marked by the recovery from dependence toward autonomy.