Key Points:
- TiSpace aims to be the first foreign firm to launch a rocket from Japan. The launch faces regulatory delays but aims for early 2025.
- Launching a Taiwanese rocket faces potential scrutiny from China due to advancements in missile technology.
- Japan aims to double its space industry’s size and become a space transportation hub by the early 2030s.
- Japan’s private rocket industry is nascent, with recent failures and few successes. A successful launch could lead to expanded manufacturing capacity.
A Taiwanese startup, TiSpace, aims to become the first foreign firm to launch a rocket from Japan by early next year. This move is part of a broader plan to help Tokyo establish itself as a major space hub in Asia. TiSpace plans a suborbital launch that aligns with Japan’s ambition to double the size of its 4 trillion yen ($26 billion) space industry over the next decade despite regulatory hurdles and delays.
TiSpace, co-founded in 2016 by former Taiwan’s space agency officials, has yet to achieve a successful launch. Their most recent attempt, through sister company AtSpace in Australia in 2022, failed due to an oxidizer leak. The rocket set for testing in Japan is of a different design. “This planned launch should be a very good case for the Japanese government,” said TiSpace chairman Yen-sen Chen. “If it goes smoothly, it will attract more customers from other countries.”
The firm is awaiting final regulatory approval and a radio permit for its 12-meter (39 ft) sounding rocket, which is expected by early 2025. Launching a Taiwanese rocket in Japan might draw China’s attention, as China claims Taiwan and monitors its missile-related advancements. However, Chen has not encountered any concerns so far. China’s foreign ministry stated it was “not aware of the relevant circumstances” of the launch.
Japan’s Cabinet Office emphasized that “free economic and research activities are guaranteed in Japan within the scope of laws and regulations.” Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Japan called its meeting with TiSpace a “courtesy visit” and declined further comment, highlighting the launch’s private-sector nature.
TiSpace is the only Taiwanese company attempting to launch. One co-founder, Wu Jong-Shinn, now heads Taiwan’s space agency, which conducts all launch services via public tender. TiSpace’s efforts have gained support from Japanese space businesses, particularly in the agricultural town of Taiki, Hokkaido, which will host the launch. Local officials view the project as a symbol of Taiwan-Japan friendship and a boost for a proposed “space Silicon Valley.”
Japan aims for its private space industry to be worth over $50 billion by the early 2030s, launching 30 rockets annually and becoming Asia’s space transportation hub. Jun Kazeki, a top official overseeing Japan’s space strategy, noted that while there may be future opportunities for using overseas technologies, Japanese rockets remain the government’s priority.
Japan’s private rocket industry is still emerging. Space One, backed by Aerospace giant IHI, experienced a failure during its inaugural launch in March. Based in Taiki, Interstellar Technologies became the first Japanese firm to send a sounding rocket to space in 2019 but has not achieved an orbital launch. TiSpace’s success could lead to expanded manufacturing in Japan, serving local customers like Hokkaido-based Letara, which has expressed interest in testing its satellite propulsion system.