Japan established a space monitoring force

The Japanese government is planning to set up and put into operation a space monitoring force in 2019, according to the bilateral cooperation plan between the US and Japan.

A source close to the bilateral relationship said Japan's Ministry of Defense has informed the US of the plan. The move aims to tighten the cooperation between the two countries in the field of space research, after many countries around the world pushed the joint operation to monitor cosmic garbage .

Simulate cosmic garbage around Earth orbit.(Photo: ingenious.com)

Accordingly, Japan will provide the US military with information collected from surveillance. This is part of an agreement to promote bilateral cooperation in this area, also known as the "fourth front".

According to Kyodo News, the space monitoring force has the initial task of monitoring dangerous debris floating in Earth's orbit and protecting the satellite system against the risk of collisions.

The monitoring unit will operate through radar and telescope systems in Okayama Prefecture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and the Japan Space Exploration Agency. Japan's Ministry of Defense is considering establishing a new force using its own resources from its Air Defense Forces.

Japan and the United States began to pay attention to the problem of cosmic garbage since 2007, when China tested its anti-satellite missile system and destroyed an old satellite in orbit. The test created thousands of dangerous debris in space.

Scientists have identified thousands of pieces of cosmic trash that are wandering indefinitely in Earth's orbit. Cosmic garbage is a part of missiles, inactive satellites or debris and many other components. When floating in orbit, junk pieces are at risk of colliding with active spacecraft or satellites.