TOKYOMay 20 (Kyodo) – Tokyo-based startup Innovative Space Carrier Inc. will develop a reusable satellite launch vehicle in collaboration with an American rocket engine manufacturer, with the aim of commercial use around 2030.
The ASCA-1 rocket will be powered by an engine developed by US partner Ursa Major Technologies Inc. and built under what Innovative Space Carrier calls Japan’s first development project for a reusable launch vehicle. Reusable rockets, which can perform multiple launches, can reduce costs.
For the Japanese startup, satellite launch services are a first step in its plan to operate a spacecraft capable of carrying about 50 people to an altitude of 400 kilometers by 2040.
