Japan’s space agency has picked local player Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as prime contractor to develop its new flagship launch vehicle after an international tender.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) called on private companies from…
Japan’s space agency has picked local player Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as prime contractor to develop its new flagship launch vehicle after an international tender.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) called on private companies from across the world to submit their bids around a month ago, as the country seeks to bolster the commercial capabilities of its space industry to better compete in the global market.
MHI will begin work on upgrading JAXA’s existing flagship rockets, the medium-lift H-IIA and heavy-lift H-IIB, in April to target a maiden launch in 2020.
The company, a conglomerate with products ranging from aerospace parts to forklift trucks, first entered the rocket launch services business in 2007, when it took responsibility for H-IIA’s production and management to place the SELENE lunar orbiter.
In September 2012 it signed an agreement with JAXA to assume ownership of H-IIB, vowing to aggressively ramp up its overseas commercial activities following the privatisation. That deal came just a few months after MHI placed a satellite for its first overseas customer with the Kompsat-3 mission in South Korea.
According to JAXA, while its current rockets have served the country well, their age means maintenance costs are increasing and, because no new vehicle development project has taken place for more than 15 years, skilled engineers who were involved in its initial production are “graying”.
It said: “Although our flagship launch vehicle technology is highly regarded, we need to lower the launch costs in order to procure commercial satellite launch demand from overseas in addition to our country’s government satellites.”
JAXA said the new launch vehicles, which will share the main liquid engine core and will carry up to six solid, boosters, will reduce its launch costs by half.
