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Space Industry Now and in the Future

Space exploration is no longer a dream but a goal

The space utilization business is attracting attention as the next growth market after the IT industry in the world.

When we were born, it was still the world of comic books and movies, but 20 years from now, business and life will be more related to space.
The year 2040 should be the year when everyone will have access to space.

Working in a space-related career may still seem a world away to me, but it is no longer the case.

Space Industry Now and in the Future

In 2015, when our CEO, Mr. Hatada, started working for the Cabinet Office to promote private space business, there were only about 10 companies in Japan, but as of 2023, there are more than 70 venture companies in the space industry doing various businesses using space.

1. Transporting people and goods
Many companies do not disclose the development and initial costs of transportation systems. The development cost of a rocket is over 200 billion, which is equal to or more than the cost of a launch vehicle. In Japan, JAXA is developing the Epsilon launch vehicle and the H2 and H3 core launch vehicles, but in the future, private companies are expected to take the lead in the development of launch vehicles that will transport people and goods at high frequencies.

2. Satellite data technology utilization
This business uses data acquired from launched satellites to provide a variety of services. Familiar examples include positioning satellites such as GPS, observation satellites such as the Himawari weather satellite, and satellite-based communication and video services. In the telecommunications field, Wi-Fi connectivity on airplanes is now possible because of the existence of satellite Internet.

3. Build and operate infrastructure
There is "ground system utilization," which manages and operates launched satellites, and "in-space orbital services," which performs maintenance and waste disposal after launch.

4. Space travel/Immigration/Staying in space
is bustling abroad and is projected to be worth $14 billion by 2028; in 2023, SpaceX is expected to launch a lunar travel tour; in 2026, SpaceX is expected to launch a lunar travel tour; in 2027, SpaceX is expected to launch a lunar travel tour; in 2028, SpaceX is expected to launch a lunar travel tour; in 2029, SpaceX is expected to launch a lunar travel tour.

5. Exploration and resource development
There are two types of exploration and resource development businesses that are essential for space advancement: human space exploration and non-human space exploration using spacecraft. Compared to other space businesses, the exploration and resource development business has many technical challenges and is difficult to monetize.

6. Others
・Observation and recovery business of space waste
・Space utilization business
・Space insurance business, etc.

In the 20th century, most space activities were led by government agencies and conducted under the name of space exploration as a government-supported business. The expectations for the future of the space industry are growing even greater.

Space Industry Now and in the Future

Space Industry Now and in the Future

Space Industry Now and in the Future

Space Industry Now and in the Future

SpaceX was cited as the most successful example of this.

Space Industry Now and in the Future

In the global market, many players are in the business of utilizing data acquired from satellites on Earth, and only a few are in the business of space activities themselves.

Transportation of people and goods into space is essential for private companies to conduct businesses that utilize space itself, such as businesses that realize space travel, migration, and stay, and businesses that explore the moon and Mars and develop resources.

In fact, the number of companies seeking to commercialize space transportation is small and no major innovation has occurred in 20 years.
The reason is that it is more difficult than other areas, requiring high technology and financial resources.

In the United States, private companies are opening up the transportation market in collaboration with NASA, and in Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Roadmap Study Group's July 2022 report states that future space transportation systems need to be developed jointly by the public and private sectors. A comprehensive system that achieves drastic cost reduction (about 1/10 of H3 rocket) is indispensable, and large private demand is expected in the future.

Space Industry Now and in the Future

Based on the Council for the Promotion of Commercialization of Space Transportation by the Private Sector, it is stated that JAXA aims to establish a business system centered on the private sector, to narrow down the necessary elemental technologies by around 2025, and to achieve a private sector-led flight demonstration in the early 2030s, and that JAXA will provide necessary support through dialogue based on the private sector's business plan.

A phased technology demonstration stage gate is also being considered to support private sector capacity building through milestone payments and anchor tenancy.

We believe that further technological innovation in the field of space transportation is the key to realizing a world in which business and life in space becomes more accessible.

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 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.
Building a Space Transportation Platform is a Mixed Martial Art

Building a Space Transportation Platform is a Mixed Martial Art

A high-frequency transport system for people and goods cannot be realized by developing only a high-frequency single-stage transport aircraft. It is necessary to have a launch site that can safely launch and land, and a ground platform that manages and controls the launch site to smoothly check, maintain, and re-launch the transporter. Repeated launch experiments are extremely costly and time-consuming in the research and development of 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. Also, in the manufacturing stage of the transport aircraft, we are considering a system in which the R&D team, the manufacturing team, and suppliers can constantly share information to enable efficient and high-speed manufacturing, such as by building a more efficient supply chain and providing feedback for improvement using data that can be obtained from the components. In order to realize these goals, we believe it is necessary to bring together the wisdom and experience of not only engineers who have built their careers in the aerospace industry, but also those from various manufacturing and IT industries, and to foster a corporate culture that is not bound by conventional wisdom.