Space Policies of Japan, China and India : Comparative Policy Logic Analysis

Many people consider that space policy is all about planetary exploration, such as going to Moon or Mars.The most prestigious and glamorous part of space policy is of course the manned-space.The fever of "Hayabusa" in Japan also suggests that even unmanned planetary exploration can be exciting to many in public.Planetary exploration also attracts a lot of attention not only from scientists and engineers.It is therefore considered as the central piece of space policy.However, the time of space race has been over for many years.The primary motivation for going to the Moon and building Space Shuttle and International Space Station was to compete against the Soviet Union and to demonstrate its technological, scientific and industrial capability.Although manned space exploration did not have direct implication of developing military capabilities (it was and still is prohibited to establish military bases, installations and fortifications, the testing of any type of weapons and the conduct of military manoeuvres on celestial bodies by the Outer Space Treaty), the success of space exploration was considered as a possession of potential military capabilities in space for the future.Both Soviet Union and the United States spent tremendous amount of money for the planetary exploration.The United States spent more than 4% of federal budget which is equivalent to $900 billion in 2016 budget (Congressional Budgetary Office, 2017).Such large amount of spending for one program in the space policy domain was quite unsustainable.Thus, the Apollo program was cancelled after Apollo 17 launch without completing its initial plan for launching until Apollo 20.For Soviet Union, the technological and financial capabilities were in no match with the United States after the defeat in the Moon race.The investment in space race had certain responsibility for the collapse of the Soviet Union.In short, the planetary exploration was the name of the game between two superpowers during the Cold War, but when the game was over, planetary exploration had to face with a lot of difficulties.Meanwhile, the planetary exploration has shifted back in the game of emerging powers such as China and India.China has successfully launched its first manned flight in 2003 and sending Moon probe and landers.India also demonstrating its capabilities to be the first Asian country to send probe to Mars.Why are they suddenly emerged as the emerging power to enter into planetary exploration?What are their motivations?Is there new space race in Asia?This article aims to answer these questions by focusing on their intentions and ( 881 ) 49 31-5March 2019discourse of space exploration.In so doing, this article employs an analytical framework which was developed in my previous research (Suzuki, 2003). Policy Logics for Space ExplorationPolicy logic analysis regards policy as an outcome of competition of 'logics'.Actors in policy-making process rely on particular logic to pursue certain programmes, policies or strategies.On the one hand, decision makers have their own policy 'logic' based upon their strategy for space or use of space for other policy objectives.On the other, experts, agencies, companies and ministries also have their own specific 'logics' to compete with each other to have closer access to decision makers or to convince them if they have preference for particular logic.The concept of 'policy logics' was proposed because neither 'interests' nor 'beliefs' seem satisfactory analytical tools in order to analyze very complex process of policy-making.Actors in space policy do not consciously differentiate interests from beliefs.Some may believe that space should be associated with national pride and autonomy; others may believe that space should serve for commercial and industrial benefit.Such beliefs and values for space policy are directly reflected on the preferences and interests on the selection of programs or allocation of budget.Experts, agencies, ministries and companies have interest in promoting certain programs in order to reify their belief or values -such as challenging new technology, sending a probe to an unknown planetary body, and so forth.In other words, as Scharpf argues, "people act not only on the basis of objective needs but also on the basis of preferences reflecting their subjectively defined interests and valuations and their normative convictions of how it is right or good or appropriate to act under the circumstances" (Scharpf, 1997: p.19, emphasis original).Thus, the concept of 'policy logic' shall be defined as reasoning conducted according to a system of policy principles in which experts, agencies, companies, ministries and decision makers are committed to realize their respective objectives.This study assumes that these actors have their own objectives in policy programs which are to realize their individual values and interests.The 'policy logic analysis' focuses on the logic (and reasoning) of actors for rationalizing their policy objectives and principles.On the one hand, experts, agencies, companies and ministries use their own logic to motivate decision makers to support their objectives and principles if decision makers are not initially in favour of their logic.On the other hand, decision makers have to have their policy logics for rationalizing their decisions and convincing certain groups of experts not to adopt a proposed policy objective.