Interstellar Technologies

Interstellar Technologies, Inc. (Japanese: インターステラテクノロジズ（株）, Hepburn: Intāsutera Tekunorojizu (kabu)) is a Japanese NewSpace company. It is a rocket spacelaunch company developing the MOMO launcher. Its stated goal is to reduce the cost of access to space.[1] In 2017, it became the first Japanese company to launch a privately developed space rocket, though the launch was unsuccessful. The company plans to complete a rocket by 2020 that would be capable of launching small satellites into orbit.[2] As of 2018, the president is Takahiro Inagawa.[3]

As of 2018, the company has managed to raise about ¥30 million (about US$250,000) in crowdfunding.[4]

History

The group that became Interstellar Technologies was created as a hobbyist organization in 1997.[5] Interstellar Technologies predecessor company was established in 2003 by Takafumi Horie, who previously founded the ISP Livedoor. It was established to develop rockets to launch small satellites. It became Interstellar Technologies in 2005. Interstellar plans to lower the cost of access to space,[1][3][6] and is attempting to have the first privately developed rocket in Japan to reach space.[4]

On 30 July 2017, the MOMO-1 rocket failed after launch. Contact was lost 66 seconds after launch, triggering an emergency engine shutdown. The rocket reached an altitude of 20 km (12 mi). This represented the first privately funded space rocket to be launched in Japan. The launch cost about ¥50 million (US$440,000).[1][2][3][4]

In March 2018, Interstellar entered into a business alliance with Nippon Travel Agency and Space Development Corp.[7] In May 2018, Interstellar received an investment of ¥19.8 million from Kushiro Manufacturing.[7]

On 30 June 2018, at 5:30am local time, the MOMO-2 rocket was launched at Taiki, Hokkaido, Japan, lifting off the pad. Four seconds later, it came crashing back down onto it, exploding violently.[3][4][6]

Facilities

Rockets

MOMO sounding rocket

  • First launch: 30 July 2017 (failure)
  • Launch attempts: 2 (0 successful)
  • Height: 10 m (33 ft) [1][3][4]
  • Diameter: 50 cm (20 in) [4]
  • Mass: 1 tonne (0.98 long tons; 1.1 short tons) [4]
  • Apogee: 100 km (62 mi), capable to reach the Karman line or the boundary of space. [1][2][3][4]
  • Payload to Karman line: 20 kg (44 lb) [8]
  • Cost: ¥50 million (~$440 thousand) [2]

ZERO orbital rocket [9]

  • First launch: 2020 (estimated)
  • Payload to 500 km (310 mi) SSO: 100 kg (220 lb)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Darrell Etherington (31 July 2017). "Japan's potential SpaceX competitor achieves mixed results in first launch". Tech Crunch.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Naomi Schanen (30 July 2017). "Japan Attempts First Rocket Launch to Join SpaceX". Bloomberg.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Global News (30 June 2018). "Rocket fails, explodes seconds after launch for Japanese startup". Global TV (Canada). The Canadian Press (CP).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Interstellar Technology's second rocket crashes seconds after liftoff in Hokkaido". Japan Times. 30 June 2018.
  5. ↑ Eric Berger (26 July 2017). "Japanese company preparing for country's first private rocket launch". Ars Technica.
  6. 1 2 SHOTARO HAMADA (30 June 2018). "Privately backed Japanese rocket a fireball soon after launch". Asahi Shimbun.
  7. 1 2 Warwick, Graham (July 3, 2018). "Second Setback For Japanese Rocket Startup". Aviation Week.
  8. ↑ "MOMO". Interstellar Technologies Inc. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "ZERO". Interstellar Technologies Inc. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
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