Toyota Group will invest AUD71.2 million in Japan’s Interstellar Technologies. Woven by Toyota, a Toyota Group research unit, will be the lead investor in the current F Series funding round and is expected to provide additional funding in the short to medium term.
Interstellar, a privately owned space technology company. is attempting to manufacture a launch vehicle for satellites weighing under 100 kilograms and reduce the cost of accessing space. In 2019, it successfully took a 20-kilogram payload on a suborbital trajectory to the edge of space. In 2021, it carried out a payload release and recovery mission – a first for a private Japanese company.
The fresh funding will help Interstellar mass-produce lightweight rockets and compete in the commercial space industry, providing competition for heavyweight players such as SpaceX. Woven will appoint a director to Interstellar’s board in In exchange for the funding.
Investment stems from ongoing collaboration with Toyota
Interstellar says the investment results from ongoing efforts to build a stronger alliance with Toyota and focuses on key areas such as cost reduction, lead time shortening, and establishing a mass production system for rockets.
“Since the start of our business in 2013, Interstellar Technologies has valued a hands-on approach to manufacturing and a spirit of trial and error,” said CEO Takahiro Inagawa. He calls Toyota “the ideal partner to help us evolve our rocket production from one-of-a-kind manufacturing to a scalable supply chain, bringing our vision of a future where everyone can access space to life.”
Interstellar notes that in 2023, the US conducted 116 launches, and China conducted 63. However, Japan only had three launches. The Japanese Government is aiming for around 30 launches annually by the early 2030s. However, Interstellar says hitting that target will require a structural transformation of the country’s space industry, shifting from one-off production to scalable manufacturing with a robust supply chain.
Interstellar looks to Toyota for scalable, cost effective production tips
Interstellar says it aims to leverage automotive industry expertise, including Toyota’s production methods, to transition rocket manufacturing into a high-quality, cost-effective, and scalable process.
“We are excited to collaborate with Interstellar Technologies on the mass production of rockets,” said Woven by Toyota CEO Hajime Kumabe. “This business alliance will leverage the Toyota Group’s extensive manufacturing capabilities and combine our expertise to advance rocket production and further drive mobility transformation.”
Toyota has previously dipped its toes in the space sector, including in a 2019 collaboration with JAXA on a lunar rover for NASA’s Artemis program. Interstellar has also been working with Toyota since 2020. But Japan’s Interstellar technologies says it, and other satellite launch companies, will only become truly competitive when they can produce a high launch tempo – similar to what SpaceX is now achieving.
Japan’s next space launch is the Michibiki 6 mission. Michibiki 6 is currently scheduled to lift off on February 1 at the Tanegashima Space Center. The 4,900-kilogram satellite will hitch a ride into space onboard the H3 Launch Vehicle jointly manufactured by Mitsubishi and JAXA and become part of a Japanese satellite navigation system operating from inclined, elliptical geosynchronous orbits facilitating high-elevation visibility in urban canyons and mountainous areas. Japanese space operators have tentatively scheduled a further seven launches later this year.
