No, not Star Wars of the George Lucas variety. I’m talking about a satellite defense program. Or at least the possibility of one. You see, the Japanese parliament has officially repealed a 1969 ban on military use of space. It was catapulted through with a 221-14 vote, backed by the LDP, New Komeito, and the DPJ.

The law, one of several moves in recent years by Japan to give greater freedom to its armed forces, allows the military to develop more advanced spy satellites for intelligence gathering and missile defense.

However, the law says that the space programs will have to be limited to defense only as defined in the nation’s pacifist constitution. The U.S.-drafted 1947 constitution prohibits Japan from offensive warfare.

AP via Breitbart

The law changes Japan’s policy of space use to “nonaggression” from “nonmilitary” and allows the government to station equipment in space compatible with the defense-oriented policy, experts and government officials said.

The equipment includes early warning satellites that can detect signs of a ballistic missile launch and a spy satellite that can view objects as small as 15 centimeters, they said.

AP via Breitbart

With North Korea making a show of ballistic missile tests, Japan has a few satellites in orbit already, but they’re slightly handicapped, at “a level compatible for commercial use, for fear that having one with a higher performance could draw criticism that Japan was trying to expand its military capability in space.” Ha ha ha. Sigh. I guess the question now is, even though the path has been cleared for a future star wars type defense system, will it ever happen in the face of declining defense spending? Make your thoughts known below.