Japan’s space development is accelerating

The fund, designed to grow the country’s space activities, will operate with an allocation of 1 trillion yen over a 10-year period. The government recently announced the first 22 themes to support startups and universities.

A few years ago it was common for the government to take the lead in rocket development. However, Japan recognizes the need to win future global competition and has decided that harnessing the power of the private sector is crucial. In the United States, companies such as SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, are taking the lead. China, Russia and India are also stepping up their efforts. The space-related market is expected to grow to USD 1 trillion, or approximately 150 trillion yen, by 2040. Can Japan build a strong presence?

In a segment on BS TV Tokyo’s “Nikkei News Plus 9” broadcast on May 6, the discussion focused on the increasing reality of space travel and spaceports in Japan.

Guests are first introduced to Kojiro Hatada, chairman of the rocket development startup Future Space Transportation System. Next up is Shoji Kodama, an editorial writer at The Nikkei, who is well versed in the space industry.

Recently, Japan and Europe agreed to cooperate in lunar exploration and asteroid observation. Kodama, what do you think of this collaboration?

“In space development, the US has an overwhelming advantage. Moreover, China and Russia, both of which have succeeded in human spaceflight, form the top group. Japan and Europe are in the second group. such as lunar development and space debris will increase their presence.”

Is this a joint venture between two secondary groups?

“Yes, it is important to show presence and not be left behind.”

US-Japan cooperation includes the Artemis human moon landing program, in which Japan participates. Hatada, what do you think of such an international collaboration?

“Until now, each country carried out space development independently, but the partnership between the US and Japan has deepened significantly. One reason is that space development is challenging and expensive, so collaboration is critical. In addition, China has developed space stations and lunar sample return missions. on its own, so the US is keen to develop space together with allies like Japan, and in the private sector it also benefits from such government partnerships. Our company works with US companies and uses government cooperation.

However, in terms of budget and missile launches, Japan lags behind in terms of international competitiveness. Hatada’s company develops rockets and wants to start space tourism. We will discuss this in detail after this feature.

To continue this article, here is an international comparison in the space sector. For example, last year the US had 104 missile launches, while Japan had only two, showing a significant gap. Kodama, how do you view this?

“America’s dominance is undeniable. Of the 104 US launches, 96 were from SpaceX. While America is strong in the private sector, SpaceX is leading and other companies have room to catch up.”

What’s behind SpaceX’s dominance?

“Elon Musk’s determination is crucial. NASA’s support has also been significant. Their mentality to learn from failures and improve quickly has led to success.”

How does the Japanese space industry categorize?

“Hatada’s company focuses on reusable rockets. SpaceX is commercially successful, but Japan’s JAXA managed to conduct reusable rocket tests fifteen years ago. However, as a research institute it has not pursued business. We plan to use reusable rocket technology for satellite launches and space tourism.”

Hatada’s company plans seven-night space trips starting in 2040.

“People often say the price is too low, but to achieve this we need to reduce current space costs by double digits, which is a challenge.”

The key to reducing costs is effective reuse. SpaceX’s reusable rockets are used 10 to 20 times, but the goal is to have more than 1,000 reuses, like in airplanes.

How is Japan developing spaceports for space tourism?

“Japan’s geography offers great potential for spaceports. If private companies take the lead, real estate developers and contractors can create tourism opportunities.”

What does the public-private shift in space development look like?

“NASA’s outsourcing of services to private companies has created a trend. Private involvement accelerates development.”

How crucial is space travel as an industry?

“Space is becoming an infrastructure that is essential to society, like internet via satellites.”

How does Hatada view Japan’s space startups, which have increased to more than 100?

“The number of Japanese space startups has increased tenfold in six to seven years, but we are still lagging globally. However, there is potential to catch up.”

Source: BIZ