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TOKYO: A Japanese aerospace startup founded by an old Internet maverick successfully launched a small rocket into space Saturday, making it the first commercially developed Japanese rocket to reach the planet. 39; orbit.
Interstellar Technology Inc. stated that the unmanned MOMO-3 rocket had exceeded 100 kilometers altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean. It was launched from the company's test site in Taiki City, on the main island of northern Japan, Hokkaido, and flew about 10 minutes.
"We proved that our rocket developed with many commercially available parts was able to reach the space," said Interstellar Technologies CEO, Takahiro Inagawa, at a news conference. press conference in Hokkaido.
The rocket, about 10 meters long and 50 centimeters in diameter, weighs about 1 ton. It is capable of carrying payloads as heavy as 20 kilograms (44 pounds) but currently lacks the ability to send them into orbit.
The company, founded in 2013 by entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, former president of Livedoor Co., aims to develop low-cost commercial rockets to transport satellites in space. Horie has expressed great expectations for his new venture. "I hope that many manufacturers and satellite manufacturers will come here to join us," he said.
The launch is part of a growing international trend in the space sector, where Japan is lagging behind global competition, led by US startups such as Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Saturday's success came after two failures in 2017 and 2018.
Posted in Dawn, May 5, 2019
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