Hokkaido, Japan – SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd. (SPACE COTAN), which operates “Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO)”, a commercial spaceport open to the private sector in Asia, signed The Washington Compact on Norms of Behavior for Commercial Space Operations with 18 other spaceports around the world.
SPACE COTAN, in collaboration with Taiki Town, provides opportunities for space activities to launch service providers, satellite operators, and other entities from both domestic and international sectors, through the development and operation of HOSPO.
As a spaceport operator engaged in international cooperation, SPACE COTAN will contribute to the advancement of sustainable space activities based on treaties, international law, and domestic law, in line with the objectives of the Washington Compact. SPACE COTAN also strives to enhance the interoperability of infrastructure in space activities.
An international instrument that provides a framework for cooperation and responsible behavior among nations, commercial space participants
The Washington Compact was developed by the Dutch international think tank The Hague Institute for Global Justice (THIGJ) and has been signed by around 200 companies and organizations worldwide.
It is an international instrument that provides a framework for cooperation and responsible behavior among nations. Commercial space participants and other stakeholders ensure that the benefits of commercial space activities are realized while minimizing the potential for harmful interference.
In response to a call from The Global Spaceport Alliance (GSA) and THIGJ, Yoshinori Odagiri, President and CEO of SPACE COTAN, signed the agreement at the “GSA Spaceport Summit 2025” held in Orlando, Florida, USA on January 27th.
Contents of The Washington Compact
- Establish a common vision to ensure that civil space exploration and development is conducted in a manner that prevents conflict and supports cooperation, peace, and prosperity
- Promote the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind
- Agree that all work on The Compact will be conducted on a consensus basis and shall be implemented in a fashion that is consistent with international law and the national laws and regulations of the Signatories
- Commit to supporting reasonable efforts to utilize existing interoperability standards for space-based infrastructure, to establish such standards when current standards do not exist or are inadequate
- Reaffirm the value of the use and exploration of outer space for economic growth, societal well-being, and the improvement of the quality of life globally, particularly for developing countries.
- Underscore the paramount need for enhancing the predictable and transparent application of the United Nations Outer Space Treaties to space activities
https://thehagueinstituteforglobaljustice.org/portfolio/the-washington-compact/
Statements
Yoshinori Odagiri, CEO of SPACE COTAN CO., LTD.
It is a great honor to sign the Washington Compact with 18 spaceports around the world. As a spaceport operator advancing international collaboration and providing launch opportunities, we are committed to furthering efforts based on international frameworks like the Washington Compact. Through these initiatives, we aim to make Hokkaido Spaceport a trusted spaceport for all stakeholders.
About SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd.
Representative: Yoshinori ODAGIRI, President and CEO
Location: 98 Nishihondori, Taiki-machi, Hiroo-gun, Hokkaido
Business Overview: Overall promotion of HOSPO projects based on mandates from Taiki town, and operation of HOSPO.
WEB: https://hokkaidospaceport.com
About Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO)
HOSPO is a commercial spaceport open to the private sector in Asia, which was established in Taiki, Japan.
Taiki Town has been attracting the aerospace industry for 40 years, and is said to be one of the most suitable locations for a world-class spaceport due to its geographical advantages, such as an expansive sea to the east and south for launching rockets, and a large land area that allows for high expansion of the launch site. The suborbital launch site “LC0” is already in operation, and private rockets have reached space three times in the past. To realize our vision of “creating an aerospace industry cluster and ecosystem”, we are developing new orbital launch site “LC1”.
In October 2024, Taiki Town and SPACE COTAN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) , committing to expand international spaceport collaboration with eight commercial spaceports located across five continents. In order to meet the growing demand for launches, we will explore potential strategic collaborations to establish international spaceport standards.
Furthermore, SPACE COTAN has just been selected for the Space Strategy Fund from Japanese Government in January, 2025. We will develop ground-based technologies for high-frequency launches of various launch vehicles.
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