Japanese startup Space One will conduct its maiden rocket launch at the end of February, the company said as it unveiled the country's first private-sector launch pad.
Space Port Kii is a 15-hectare site in Kushimoto, Wakayama prefecture, south of Osaka that houses a tower for assembling and inspecting rockets as well as a control building.
The Kairos launch vehicle, named after the Greek god personifying opportunity, can send satellites into an orbit 500 kilometers above the Earth. Kairos, measuring 18 meters in length, is about one-third the size of Japan's mainline H-IIA rocket. Space One declined to elaborate on the type of satellite it will launch in February, citing a confidentiality agreement.
Space One adopted solid fuel technology used for the Epsilon launch vehicle developed by IHI Aerospace and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The use of proven technology is expected to boost the success rate of launches. IHI Aerospace is an investor in Space One.
With liquid fuel, a launcher needs to be injected with liquid hydrogen. Solid fuel rockets eliminate that step, allowing quicker launches. The use of specialized launch pads avoid the need to work around the schedules of other rockets.
For that reason, Space One can launch a satellite four days after receiving the payload. Similar preparations can take more than a month for other rockets. The company says it is capable of the world's shortest response time for a rocket launch.
Canon Electronics, which owns 44% of Space One, is contributing production technology derived from manufacturing camera and photocopier components. Using off-the-shelf electronic components found in the private sector helps Space One control costs.
The startup has not disclosed the price tag of the upcoming mission. JAXA looks to launch the newest version of the Epsilon rocket in the next fiscal year, with the cost estimated at 2.5 billion yen ($18.8 million). The next-generation rocket is larger than Kairos, so Space One likely will look to keep the launch cost below that threshold.
Space One's first launch has been pushed back twice from the original March 2022 date due to supply issues. The first delay was announced during the omicron COVID-19 wave in late 2021, and the date was postponed again as the result of the Ukraine war.Space One expects to conduct 20 launches yearly by mid-decade, a goal that requires a stable supply chain.
The satellite market is growing rapidly. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry says 1,809 satellites were launched worldwide last year, up by around a factor of 14 from 2011 and roughly triple the figure from 2019.
Smaller satellites are driving the expansion. The market for small satellites will grow to $7.4 billion in 2026, India-based MarketsandMarkets Research projects, up 140% from 2021.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is launching small communications satellites for the Starlink network. Amazon.com is developing its own web of satellites as well.
Large rockets can carry multiple small satellites, but they typically are fitted with just one large payload. Such launches cost more than 5 billion yen, an expense difficult to justify for small satellites.
It was against this backdrop that Space One saw a ripe business opportunity. The company was established in 2017 as a joint venture dubbed New Generation Small Rocket Development Planning, later changing its name. Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, the contractor Shimizu and the state-backed Development Bank of Japan were the initial investors.