Japan's first private rocket launch site groundbreaking ceremony Wakayama Kushimoto-cho November 16, 17:48
Amidst the active participation of companies in the space business, the first groundbreaking ceremony for a rocket launch site by a private company was held in Wakayama Prefecture.
In Kushimoto-cho, Wakayama Prefecture, “Space One”, jointly established by four companies including Canon subsidiaries, is planning to build the first private rocket launch site in Japan.
On the 16th, in front of full-scale construction, a groundbreaking ceremony was held with about 100 people from executives of related companies and Governor Nisaka of Wakayama Prefecture, etc. It was.
Then, at the celebration that was held after that, it was announced that the name of the launch site would be “Spaceport Kii”.
In space business, demand for small satellites for observation and other purposes is growing, and private companies are also entering the country.
Space One is developing a small rocket to launch customer satellites into space, with the first launch in 2021 and wanting to increase the launch to 20 times a year in the mid-2020s.
“The Japanese rocket technology is very good, but it is finally time to launch on a private basis. We want to develop a company that can safely transport satellites to space according to the orders of various customers. "
What is Space One
Space One was established in July last year with the aim of entering the small satellite launch business, which is expected to expand globally.
Canon, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu Corporation and the Development Bank of Japan have invested.
The company is developing a small rocket with a total length of approximately 18 meters and a weight of approximately 23 tons to launch customer satellites into space.
The first private rocket launch site was built in Kushimoto-cho, Wakayama Prefecture, and 20 launches a year were planned in the middle of the 2020s.
One after another, space business
Regarding space business, the demand for small satellites for observing the state of the earth and utilizing it for agriculture, etc., or building the Internet network, is growing, and even in Japan, private companies are entering to capture such demand One after another.
Canon's subsidiary Canon Electronics developed an ultra-small satellite that was launched in India two years ago.
In addition, there is a movement to launch rocket launches that have been led by the government by private companies, and Space One, which is funded by Canon Electronics etc., is planning to build the first rocket launch site in the private sector The
In addition, Hokkaido venture company Interstellar Technologies successfully launched a 10-meter-long mini rocket in May, and reached the first space in the world as a private company.
We aim to launch rockets loaded with artificial satellites after 2022.