A space industry advisory panel at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has proposed in a report that Japan build a rocket launchpad abroad, in addition to the one currently being used on Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, METI officials said Wednesday.
The panel under the Aircraft and Space Industry Committee of METI's Industrial Structure Council urged the government to consider constructing a site possibly on Christmas Island in the mid-Pacific nation of Kiribati, when commercial launches gain momentum in Japan.
The report points out that the Tanegashima Space Center, which was established in 1969, lags behind launch sites used by U.S. and European space authorities because of its restricted launch period due to fishery concerns and its small capacity.
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