日本参议院全体会议2008年5月21日通过了改变该国航天开发中“非军事和平利用原则”的宇宙基本法。这部法律允许以防卫为目的的“非侵略”的航天活动。根据1969年日本国会的决议,日本迄今一直保留航天开发仅限于和平目的的“非军事和平利用原则”。日本政府从1998年起推进情报收集卫星的开发,目前已拥有4颗在轨运行的情报收集卫星。虽然 The Japanese Senate plenary meeting on May 21, 2008 adopted the Universal Basic Law that changed the principle of “non-military peace and utilization” in the country’s space development. This law allows “non-aggression” space activities for defense purposes. According to the resolution of the Japanese parliament in 1969, Japan has so far retained the principle of “non-military peaceful uses” of space development for peaceful purposes only. Since 1998, the Japanese government has pushed for the development of intelligence gathering satellites and now has four orbiting intelligence gathering satellites. although