MOL and Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay (formerly Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding) sign collaboration agreement to study the commercialization of offshore rocket recovery and launch vessels

INNOVATIVE SPACE CARRIER INC.(CHUO-KU, TOKYO; CEO; KOJIRO HATADA, HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS “ISC”) IS “A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE AND CARGO ARE DELIVERED EVERY DAY. WE ARE A START-UP COMPANY THAT AIMS TO REALIZE A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT MAKES SPACE POSSIBLE, WITH THE VISION OF “MAKING SUCH THINGS POSSIBLE IN SPACE. ( REUSABLE) IS A START-UP COMPANY THAT AIMS TO REALIZE A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT MAKES SPACE POSSIBLE.

 

(MOL; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tsuyoshi Hashimoto; hereinafter “MOL”) and Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kenichi Shibata; hereinafter “Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay”; formerly Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co. (“Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay”; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kenichi Shibata; former company name: Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Corporation) have signed a collaboration agreement to study the commercialization of offshore rocket recovery and launch vessels in July 2025.

 

Alliance Accelerates Realization of Offshore Rocket Recovery Vessel and Offshore Launch Vehicle

ISC aims to provide space transportation services using the reusable launch vehicle “ASCA 1,” and if we can establish launch and recovery technology from offshore, we will be able to realize high frequency space transportation. The ISC is already providing offshore launch and recovery services using ships and other vessels overseas. From the perspective of international competitiveness, it is necessary to establish the technology and commercialize it as soon as possible to take full advantage of the geographical potential of the Japanese archipelago.

 

ISC, together with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay, has been conducting basic studies on the possibility of using ships for offshore launch and recovery from both technical and business aspects, and has now agreed to proceed with the development of a demonstration ship for offshore rocket recovery.

 

We will conduct each experiment during FY2026 and proceed with discussions with the aim of commercial use around 2030.

 

Outline of Cooperative Agreement

ISC, MOL, and Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay will proceed with the following studies.

(1) Development of an offshore recovery ship for rockets
Refine design requirements for an offshore recovery ship for rockets, and proceed with application study and demonstration to ASCA 1.

(2) Study on the commercialization of offshore launch vehicles for rockets
Examine the design requirements for offshore launch vehicles for rockets, study their technical and economic feasibility, and proceed with the study and demonstration of their application to ASCA 1.

 

 

 

Comments from each company

Innovative Space Carrier Inc. CEO Kojiro Hatada
We are very pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay, Inc. to hold specific discussions on the development of a ship to realize takeoff and landing of rockets on the ocean. By closely integrating the two companies’ extensive knowledge in the offshore and shipboard fields with MHI’s development of reusable launch vehicles through this basic agreement, we will work even harder to realize the space transportation system that we are aiming for.

 

Miwako Ando, Executive Officer, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
We aim to contribute to the realization of high frequency space transportation by providing offshore infrastructure for the space industry by establishing the technology and ship operation/management know-how necessary for the offshore launch and recovery of rockets. We will create new value for society in various areas of the space industry by utilizing the technologies and expertise we have cultivated in our core businesses of marine transportation and offshore business, as well as the entire group.

 

Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay Corporation (formerly Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.) Mr. Hiroshi Seki, Director
Our company, which changed its name to Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay Corporation on June 30, was formerly Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, with a history of over 100 years in shipbuilding technology. In addition to ship design engineering, we have liquefied gas related technologies, fixed-point holding systems, and autonomous operation technologies, and we believe that we can leverage these strengths in the development of ships capable of taking off and landing rockets. We are committed to contributing to the realization of future space transportation using reusable rockets and creating new value.

 

■ ISC Company Profile
Corporate Name: Innovative Space Carrier Inc. Space Carrier Inc.
English Name: Innovative Space Carrier Inc.
Representative: CEO President Kojiro Hatada
Head Office Address: 4-1 Nihonbashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Nihonbashi 1-chome Mitsui Building 5F
Date of establishment: May 2, 2022
Total amount of funding: 1.22 billion yen
Business: Planning and research for commercialization of innovative space transportation systems
URL: https://innovative-space-carrier.co.jp/

 

■ MOL Company Profile
Corporate Name: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
English Name: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Representative: Tsuyoshi Hashimoto, President and CEO
Head Office Address: 2-1-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Year Established: 1884
Business Activities: General shipping, marine business, social infrastructure business
URL: https: //www. mol.co.jp/

 

■Company Profile
Corporate Name: Tsuneishi Solutions Tokyo Bay Corporation (formerly Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Corporation)
Representative: Kenichi Shibata, CEO and President
Head Office Address: 2-3-2 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Date Established: May 22, 2017 (Established: 1917)
Capital: 100 million yen
Business Activities: Design engineering services, marine equipment, new fuel and gas related equipment engineering, shiphandling systems, DX and monitoring, technical support, etc.
URL: https://www.tsuneishi.co.jp/tokyobay/

 

 

■We are actively recruiting human resources!

We want to go to space from Japan.
We take on the challenge.
Aerospace technology x Knowledge of different industries x Backcast thinking
Create new industries with an eye on the future.
Let’s do work that is worth the challenge of our lives.

Click here for the employment page:
https://hrmos.co/pages/innovative-space-carrier/jobs

For business partnerships and other inquiries, click here
https://innovative-space-carrier.co.jp/contact/

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Please follow this link to register.
https://forms.gle/TDc8HpdcR2zCU41t9