Nationality: Japan

Country of Residence: Japan

Nominator: Gopalakrishnan Varadharajulu

Supporters: Setsuko Aoki, Diane Howard, Steven Freeland, Melissa Force, Peter Martinez, Maruska Strah, Yuri Takaya-Umehara

Professional path (including present position)
Yu Takeuchi has worked for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) since 2007 and is currently Senior Administrator at the Management and Integration Department of the Research and Development Directorate. He is also Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) Phase II Pre-Project Team member of the same Directorate and a Researcher at the Institute of Space Law of Keio University. Before his current appointment, he was working for the Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate as a legal expert and engaged in the privatization of cube-sat deployment activity from the ISS. He has also an experience as a budget officer at Space Technology Directorate I. From 2011-2013, he was seconded to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as Outer Space Expert and supported the first Japanese Chair of UNCOPUOS, Dr. Yasushi Horikawa. During this term, he practically led the Japanese delegation regarding the deliberation of the Long-term Sustainability of Space Activities.

Education and degree

  • September 2023, Doctor of the Science of Law, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
  • May 2015, Master of Laws, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
  • March 2007, Master of Public and International Policy, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan - March 2005, Bachelor of Law, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan

Main publications in English

  • “De Facto Common Traffic Rules? – A view from a study of national regulations-”, paper presented at Space Traffic Management Conference 2024 Austin, USA, 27-28 February 2024.
  • “Implications of State Authorization and Continuous Supervision for Contemporary Space Activities”, Proceedings of the International Institute of Space Law 2020, Eleven, 2021, pp. 419-428.
  • “Law and Policy for Space Situational Awareness towards Space Traffic Management – A Japanese Perspective –”, Vol.6, No.2 Journal of Space Safety Engineering, Elsevier, 2019.
  • “Ignitions for Global STM Rule-Making Processes -Legal Perspectives why Operators Have to Take Initiatives”, Proceedings of the International Institute of Space Law 2019, Eleven, 2020, pp. 343-352. - “STM in the Nature of International Space Law”, paper presented at Space Traffic Management Conference 2019, Austin, USA, 27 February 2019.
  • “Space Debris Removal as a First Step to Realising a Legal Framework for Space Traffic Management in Outer Space”, Tanveer Ahmad and Jinyuan Su eds., Monograph Series IV: NewSpace Commercialisation and the Law, Centre for Research in Air and Space Law, 2017. (co-authored)
  • “Regulatory Regime for Tomorrow’s Suborbital Space Flights: Point-to-point International Flights”, Proceedings of the International Institute of Space Law 2014, Eleven, 2015, pp. 487-500.
  • “Space Traffic Management as a Guiding Principle of the International Regime of Sustainable Space Activities,” 4 Journal of East Asia and International Law, 2011
  • “From Guideline to International Treaty for Rule of Law concerning Mitigation of Space Debris?”, Proceedings of the International Institute of Space Law 2010, Eleven, 2011. (co-authored)
    Membership and professional affiliation
  • International Institute of Space Law (IISL)
  • Japanese Society of International Law
  • Air Law Institute of Japan
  • Japan Chapter of the Asian Society of International Law - Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences
    Awards and other accomplishments
  • JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Frontier Area, “S-520-RD1 Flight Demonstration and Supersonic Combustion Test Team”, October 2023.
  • JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Challenge & Innovation Area, “Development and Orbital Demonstration of Commercial Technology of Small Optical Link for International Space Station (SOLISS)”, October 2020.
  • JAXA Executive Director for Human Spaceflight Technology, Quality Improvement Contribution Award (for contribution to establishing an ethical framework for space medical research involving human subjects), July 2020.
  • JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Challenge & Innovation Area, “Privatization of Cube Satellite Deployment Project”, November 2018.

Membership and professional affiliation

  • International Institute of Space Law (IISL)
  • Japanese Society of International Law
  • Air Law Institute of Japan
  • Japan Chapter of the Asian Society of International Law - Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences

Awards and other accomplishments

  • JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Frontier Area, “S-520-RD1 Flight Demonstration and Supersonic Combustion Test Team”, October 2023.
  • JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Challenge & Innovation Area, “Development and Orbital Demonstration of Commercial Technology of Small Optical Link for International Space Station (SOLISS)”, October 2020.
  • JAXA Executive Director for Human Spaceflight Technology, Quality Improvement Contribution Award (for contribution to establishing an ethical framework for space medical research involving human subjects), July 2020.
  • JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Challenge & Innovation Area, “Privatization of Cube Satellite Deployment Project”, November 2018.

Space law expertise
The Nominee began his research career by delving into the legal aspect of Space Traffic Management (STM) and is now researching the governing mechanism of international law toward commercial space activities. He has been a speaker at various events, including Sub-Committees for National Space Policy of the Japanese Government, universities, high schools, and other conferences. He has also moderated panel discussions at the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS), JAXA Space Debris Workshop, the Japan Space Sciences and Technology Conference, and STM Study Group organized by Keio University. He is a member of the Committee for Future Orbital Uses under the STM Task Force of the National Space Policy Secretariat. Additionally, he is a Program Committee member of JAXA Space Debris Workshop, Program Committee member of IAASS, and Co-Chair of JAXA-Keio Joint Study Group for Space Legal Norms.

IISL Position applied for
Director

Specify your relationship with the IISL
Being an IISL member since 2011, the Nominee has been a constant presenter at the IISL Colloquium. He participated in the Space Traffic Management (STM) Working Group in 2020 and contributed to its first outcome paper presented to the Colloquium in 2021. He has been serving as its Co-Chair since 2021 and contributed to raising awareness of the legal aspect of STM by organizing a workshop in the Legal Subcommittee of the UNCOPUOS in 2022 co-hosted by the Japanese delegation to the Subcommittee. He also served as the primary author for the WG’s second outcome paper presented to the IAC in 2023. He is currently the Regional Organizer for Asia-Pacific of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition and organizing the regional round in Japan in 2023 and 2024 in a row (2023 as Associate Regional Organizer).

Specify the reason for applying for the postition and how you can serve IISL
The Nominee's involvement in IISL and various other activities has given him a strong appreciation for the potential of the Asia-Pacific space law community. He is determined to rally their collective power to promote sound cooperative international relations in the legal domain. Through his dual background, he is eager to bridge the gap between space agencies and academia, and actively engage space agencies and governmental organizations in IISL activities.

Name, Surname of Nominator
Mr. Gopalakrishnan Varadharajulu

Nominator's reasons for nominating the nominee
I heartily nominate Dr. Yu Takeuchi , JAXA to the post of Director in the IISL Board of Directors.
I strongly feel that Dr. Yu Takeuchi deserves to be a member of the Board of Directors of IISL , because of his strong academic qualifications in Space Law and his professional contributions in the area of space law.
He has completed his Masters programme in Space Law at Mc Gill University, Montreal, Canada and Doctoral Programme in Keio University, Tokyo. He has specialised in Space Traffic Management and published quite a lot of research papers in leading international journals and presented papers in various international forums including IISL's Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space.
To name a few-

  • “Analysis of existing rules in space traffic management: Finding the Gaps in ‘Authorization’”, 74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Baku, 2-6 October 2023 (co-authored with Maruška Strah; Mark A. Skinner; Hjalte Osborn Frandsen; Catrina Melograna; Senjuti Mallick; Elena Cirkovic).
  • “Safety Standards as Implementations of Legal Requirements”, 12th International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) Conference, Osaka, 22 May 2023.
  • “Rights and Obligations in International Consultation for Establishing Safety Zones in Outer Space”, 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Paris, 18-22 September 2022.
    He has published research papers in Japanese language too.
    HIs professional contributions in JAXA, starting from 2007 to till date in various departments in various capacities, is a true testimony of his expertise in space law and space policy topics.
    Currently he is serving as Senior Administrator, Management and Integration Department, Research & Development Directorate, JAXA and additionally holds the position of Research Adviser, Space Utilisation Studies, Gakushuin University, Tokyo.
    He is a recipient various awards in JAXA as follows:
    -JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Frontier Area, “S-520-RD1 Flight Demonstration and Supersonic Combustion Test Team”, October 2023.
    -JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Challenge & Innovation Area, “Development and Orbital Demonstration of Commercial Technology of Small Optical Link for International Space Station (SOLISS)”, October 2020.
  • JAXA Executive Director for Human Spaceflight Technology, Quality Improvement Contribution Award (for contribution to establishing an ethical framework for space medical research involving human subjects), July 2020.
    -JAXA Presidential Team Achievement Award for Challenge & Innovation Area, “Privatization of Cube Satellite Deployment Project”, November 2018.
    His language skills beside Japanese, include fluency in English, and conversational in French.
    I have been knowing him for more than 12 years
    I had the opportunity of closely working with him in the conduct of the Asia Pacific Regional Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition at Gakushuin University, Tokyo in 2023; I served as Regional Organiser and he served as Associate Regional Organiser. During this interaction, I could see his dedication, management abilities, team work spirit and his passion for capacity building in Space Law . Luckily this interaction continues in this yea too with swapping of our roles in the conduct of AP Regional Round, 2024.
    He is quite ambitious in developing space law capabilities among student community in the Asia Pacific Region, especially in the far east Asia.
    I am sure, if elected, Dr. YU Takeuchi, an young space law expert, will be an active contributor to the cause of development of international space law and the overall objectives of IISL.
    In conclusion, I take pride and satisfaction in nominating Dr. Yu Takeuchi to be one of the Directors in the Board of Directors of IISL.

Gopalakrishnan V

Supporters:

Setsuko Aoki

Diane Howard

Steven Freeland

Melissa Force

Peter Martinez

Maruska Strah

Yuri Takaya-Umehara