New Japanese private joint venture to enter smallsat rocket industry
Capitalism in space: A Japanese private joint venture has formed with the intent to compete in the new smallsat rocket industry.
The new company is led by President Shinichiro Ota, a former industry ministry bureaucrat and once the head of the Japan Patent Office. NGSRDP will initially be based at Canon Electronics’ headquarters, studying technologies and costs with the hope of starting commercial operations as early as this year.
The joint venture has set a price point of 1 billion yen ($9.1 million) or less per launch — an amount seen as competitive against overseas rivals. At present, plans call for a rocket smaller than the Epsilon rocket currently under development by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, but larger than JAXA’s SS-520 minirocket.
The four companies had been discussing formation of a small rocket company for about three years. President Ota has said that the “time is ripe” for the joint venture. IHI Aerospace has played a key role in the development of Epsilon, while Canon Electronics has been involved in the SS-520 project.
I would say that this is a clear sign that the competition in the smallsat rocket industry is definitely heating up.
Note that the name of this new joint venture, New Generation Small Rocket Development Planning (NGSRDP), is quite horrible. I hope they come up with something better soon for marketing purposes.
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Capitalism in space: A Japanese private joint venture has formed with the intent to compete in the new smallsat rocket industry.
The new company is led by President Shinichiro Ota, a former industry ministry bureaucrat and once the head of the Japan Patent Office. NGSRDP will initially be based at Canon Electronics’ headquarters, studying technologies and costs with the hope of starting commercial operations as early as this year.
The joint venture has set a price point of 1 billion yen ($9.1 million) or less per launch — an amount seen as competitive against overseas rivals. At present, plans call for a rocket smaller than the Epsilon rocket currently under development by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, but larger than JAXA’s SS-520 minirocket.
The four companies had been discussing formation of a small rocket company for about three years. President Ota has said that the “time is ripe” for the joint venture. IHI Aerospace has played a key role in the development of Epsilon, while Canon Electronics has been involved in the SS-520 project.
I would say that this is a clear sign that the competition in the smallsat rocket industry is definitely heating up.
Note that the name of this new joint venture, New Generation Small Rocket Development Planning (NGSRDP), is quite horrible. I hope they come up with something better soon for marketing purposes.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
It will be known as New Generation.
In the small launcher news, Knut Madsen, one of the two founders of Copenhagen Suborbital, has been arrested suspected for causing the death of a journalist by negligence (body not yet found) when his submarine sank (or was deliberately sunk as has been clamied). Copenhagen Suborbital’s vision is a one man suborbital launcher.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40909469
Although he was one of the founders, the man suspected of this crime is no longer associated with Cop Sub. I’m just concerned this turn of events may harm the project and I wish them well and I hope Madsen didn’t harm anyone. With that said, I do know based on some of the videos I’ve seen on YouTube that Madsen had a bad temper. In fact, prior to Madsen leaving (or being forced out?) his bad behavior caused one of the other founders to leave the project.
It’s late and I’m always on my cell phone when I make these comments so I never include any links or references. But if anyone is interested in seeing the source material, I can find the videos tomorrow afternoon/evening EST and provide the links.
Anthony Domanico: I would like some more information, though I am puzzled by your comment in that you mention “Cop Sub” but the article makes no mention of this. I also have no idea who Madsen is.
I hope it is not how it will be for small crewed launch providers: Rocket crashes, body not found, owner arrested.