Building a Space Transportation Platform is a Mixed Martial Art

A high-frequency transport system for people and goods cannot be achieved by developing only a high-frequency single-stage transport aircraft. It is necessary to have a safe launch and landing range itself and a ground platform to manage and control the launch and landing, and to smoothly inspect, maintain, and re-launch the transport aircraft.

Repeated launch experiments are enormously costly and time-consuming in research and development related to new transport concepts. By combining simulations using computing power and data that can be obtained from experiments, we aim to create an efficient R&D system similar to agile development in the construction of IT systems.

In the manufacturing phase of the transporter, we are also considering a system in which the R&D team and the manufacturing team and suppliers can constantly share information to ensure efficient and fast manufacturing, including the establishment of a more efficient supply chain and improvement feedback based on data obtainable from the components.

To realize these goals, we believe it is necessary to bring together the wisdom and experience not only of engineers who have built their careers in the aerospace industry, but also of various manufacturing and IT industries, and to foster a corporate culture that is not bound by conventional wisdom.

The Future of the Space Industry and Our Goals

We talk in more detail about our vision and goals for the future of the space industry

Space Industry Now and in the Future

Space Industry Now and in the Future

Space development is no longer a dream but a goal. space utilization business is attracting attention as the next growth market after the it industry in the world.

Space Transportation will be Realized by the Private Sector

Space Transportation will be Realized by the Private Sector

Space Industry to be One Pillar of Japan's Economy The rockets developed in the 20th century have been innovated to carry more people and goods into space by combining the technologies that were possible at that time. However, most of them were "disposable" and carried goods and people at enormous cost, which was the norm in the world. In recent years, many players have entered the space industry, and as business becomes more active with satellites that send data to Earth in space and large modules that can make products that can only be tested and manufactured in zero-gravity space, demand will arise for more frequent and low-cost transportation of large numbers of people and large cargoes. We expect that this will lead to a demand for higher frequency and lower cost transportation of large numbers of people and large cargo. So, how can we transport large amounts of goods and people at lower cost? The key word is "reuse" of rockets. Rocket is usually equipped with an object to be transported to space on the tip of the rocket, which is then transported into space by a multi-stage rocket. This rocket itself is not destroyed and can be landed in place and used for the next flight. These efforts are being made possible not only by personnel with experience in aerospace development who develop rockets, but also by combining computer power, which has developed rapidly in recent years, along with personnel from a wide range of backgrounds. However, we believe that further technological innovation is the key to realizing a world where space business and life are truly accessible. We must comprehensively consider and create innovations in high-efficiency and high-performance propulsion systems, cost reductions through downsizing and weight reduction, and operational mechanisms that enable safe re-use and longer life. I am convinced that these are not things that can be completed by rocket engineers alone, but must be built by bringing together people from various fields and sharing their knowledge. The core of our business that we are now trying to tackle in the last five years is the concept of single stage space reusable (Single Stage To Orbit). From launch to arrival in space, the rocket arrives without detaching from the launch vehicle, separating cargo and people, and returning to the ground in its original state. This will reduce the cost per rocket launch to the limit, and we plan to build up a business that can handle high-speed transportation between two points, space travel, and low earth orbit satellite launch missions. For the next five years, we will concentrate our management resources on the development of this type of rocket, while building a foundation that will enable companies and individuals to do business in space based on this rocket.

The Transportation System We Aim for

The Transportation System We Aim for

Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) refers to a space vehicle that consumes only fuel and propellant and can reach a satellite orbit without detaching the engine, fuel tank, and other components of the vehicle. The development of this single-stage rocket will be extremely important to achieving our vision. The reason for this is that it can lead to the effect of reducing rocket launch costs through the reuse of airframe parts. The oxygen-laden tanks used as fuel to fly in a vacuum, although expensive, are detached mid-flight and disposable as they are, as a means of reducing the weight of the vehicle to reach outer space. However, if a single-stage rocket can be developed that does not require the detachment of a part of the rocket body to reach space, the problem of redevelopment costs for expensive parts can be solved, and further investment in space projects, more frequent launch tests, and lower-cost rocket launches can be realized. This will lead to further investment in the space business, more frequent rocket launch experiments, and a future in which the private sector can go into space at low cost. The realization of a single-stage, high-frequency reusablerocket will be a great challenge for the Japanese space industry.