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Please stop calling it the Horiemon Rocket. "Everyone's Rocket Partners" launches.
Interstellar Technologies (IST), working on the launch of Japan's first private observation rocket "MOMO," held a business strategy presentation at X-NIHONBASHI in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, on March 19.
The briefing announced the securing of a sponsor for MOMO-3, the development of the first ZERO rocket—a low-cost satellite launch vehicle essential for realizing space transportation services—and the launch of the corporate supporterz, Inc. club "Everyone's Rocket Partners" for this initiative.
IST founder Takafumi Horie and President Takahiro Inagawa appeared at the start of the briefing. They reported on the findings from the investigation into the 2018 launch failure of MOMO-2 and the current status of MOMO-3.
Experts from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and former Mitsubishi Heavy Industries personnel participated in identifying the failure cause and implementing countermeasures. President Inagawa then stated they had successfully conducted a "vertical combustion test" with the rocket in a launch-ready state and released footage of the experiment.
Next, entrepreneur Dai Tange, who purchased the naming rights for MOMO-3 as its sponsor, took the stage. "The industry representing the generation before mine was automobiles. Our generation's industry is IT. I believe my son's generation will usher in the era of the space industry. I hope to bridge that gap for my son's generation," he said, expressing his expectations for the space industry. He named the third rocket "Shifting to Space Quality: MOMO-3."
Next, Hideto Fujino, President of Leos Capital Works, known for "Hifumi Investment Trust," took the stage. Regarding his sponsorship following MOMO No. 2, he shared his hope: "At the launch of No. 2, a young boy from elementary school who was invited watched with us. He had drawn pictures of the rocket, looking forward to it, but when he saw the rocket fall and explode, he cried his eyes out. I want to show that boy the moment MOMO goes into space."
The second announcement was about the ZERO orbital injection rocket and the corporate supporterz, Inc. backing this project, Minna no Rocket Partners.
According to Mr. Horie, ZERO is an orbital injection rocket developed in parallel with MOMO, requiring about 30 times more energy for launch. Its goal is to serve as the "infrastructure" for launching small satellites at low cost.
Regarding the small satellite launch market, Mr. Horie stated, "I was originally an IT company executive. Back when internet connections were slow and expensive, I believed in the potential of the IT market and worked hard. At the time, people said such slow and expensive connections were unusable. The small satellite market resembles the IT market back then." He further explained the significance of developing ZERO, stating, "By reducing the bottleneck of satellite launch costs by one or two orders of magnitude, we hope to make it easily accessible to people with all kinds of ideas."
Regarding the ZERO plan, Inagawa expressed his enthusiasm: "We aim to launch the first unit in 2022 or 2023 and move straight into mass production from there." He further explained the background for establishing the corporate partner organization: "The turbo pump is an essential component, and achieving weight reduction also requires high technical capability and expertise. We concluded that developing such a challenging rocket like ZERO would be difficult for a single company alone, leading to the formation of Minna no Rocket Partners."
Following this, Mr. Yohei Sadoshima, CEO of Cork and the editor who brought manga like "Dragon Zakura" and "Space Brothers" to the world, took the stage. Mr. Sadoshima serves as a founding member of Minna no Rocket Partners alongside Mr. Takeshi Okada, owner of FC Imabari, and astronaut Ms. Naoko Yamazaki.
Sadojima echoed Horie's original motivation for IT ventures—"I wanted to build infrastructure"—stating, "Mr. Horie believes that just like the internet, establishing space infrastructure will spawn countless ventures beyond our imagination. Launching rockets affordably is to support those people. I respect that spirit and want to support him."
Furthermore, companies and organizations participating as founding partners—Marubeni, Taiki Town in Hokkaido, Leos Capital Works, Japan Creation Investment, Castem, Euglena, Basquille, and JAXA—also shared their thoughts and enthusiasm for Minna no Rocket Partners one after another.
Finally, Mr. Takeshi Okada, one of the founders and owner of FC Imabari, who also served as Japan's national soccer team coach, held a discussion with Mr. Horie.
Mr. Okada, who himself is a soccer club owner and understands the struggle of raising funds while sharing a vision, expressed empathy for Mr. Horie. "Things where you already know the answer and can see some profit aren't interesting. Both Mr. Horie and I aren't just trying to make money; we're excited because we're challenging new things," he said, praising IST's initiatives.
Regarding Horie, Okada told the media, "I admire how he keeps challenging himself in unknown territories, even though he could just coast by. Isn't this kind of attitude what the world and society need going forward?" He added, "Today, backstage, all our partner companies were saying, 'Let's support Mr. Horie's dream.' I accepted the role as a supporter hoping this could become an activity where many people can back that dream."
Additionally, a statement titled "To Create a Future Where Rockets Launch Successively from Japan," issued simultaneously with the announcement under the names of all the founders, called for many companies to participate as partners to build a space industry unique to Japan, distinct from both America and Europe. It concluded with the bold declaration: "Please stop calling it the Horiemon Rocket. From today, IST's rocket becomes everyone's rocket."
Everyone's Rocket Partners Statement
http://www.istellartech.com/minroke
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