Last year, Nasa said the space station would remain operational until at least January 2031 in yet another extension of its lifespan.

Nagaoka has now confirmed that his country will help Nasa maintain this commitment as space rivals China bolster their own Tiangong space station through the launch of additional modules.

In November 2020, the ISS surpassed its 20-year milestone of continuous human presence and has provided unique opportunities for research in space.

Japan’s announcement comes just days after Nasa’s Artemis rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as part of its plans to return humans to the Moon once again.

The crewless voyage, which marks the start of the Artemis programme, also saw Japan participating.

“ISS is inevitable as a place to verify technologies for the Artemis programme. It is also an important venue for Japan-US cooperation,” Nagaoka said at a signing ceremony for the Japan-US agreement on cooperation for a lunar space...