Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) plans to aggressively ramp up its overseas commercial activities following the privatisation of the H-IIB heavy lift rocket.
On 26 September, the launch services provider signed an agreement with the Japan Aerospace…
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) plans to aggressively ramp up its overseas commercial activities following the privatisation of the H-IIB heavy lift rocket.
On 26 September, the launch services provider signed an agreement with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) under which it will begin launch services using H-IIB rockets. The rocket, which was jointly developed by JAXA and MHI, can lift up to 8 tonnes thereby giving MHI the capacity to launch multiple satellites or larger high throughput satellites.
Under the agreement, MHI will now handle all manufacturing and launch activities for the rocket, the only exceptions being flight data acquisition and range safety management, which will continue to come under the auspices of JAXA.
MHI stated that with the new rocket it ‘plans to aggressively explore the global market for diverse launch needs, including commercial satellites.’
The company added that it ‘intends to strengthen its global competitiveness in this business through continuous cost reduction efforts and quality enhancement activities.’
A spokesman for MHI told SatelliteFinance that the company plans to leverage both the Japanese export credit agency Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) when competing for commercial launch contracts.
Furthermore, MHI plans to work with other Japanese companies as well as the government to offer complete space infrastructure packages to emerging nations, including the satellite’s construction and launch, something it is currently doing for Vietnam. This is an area that the Chinese space sector has been particularly active in, signing deals with countries such as Nigeria, Venezuela and Pakistan, and MHI plans to increasingly compete on these projects.
MHI has so far completed three successful launches of the H-IIB rocket, the first of which took place in 2009 and the most recent on 23 July 2012. All three launches served to send the cargo transporter vehicle known as ‘KOUNOTORI’ to the International Space Station (ISS).
MHI is now contracted to carry out the fourth KOUNOTORI launch and has called on the Japanese government to use domestic launch vehicles for launching satellites on national missions as part of the state’s policy of calling for independent capability in space development.
MHI has also asked the government to clarify the country’s launch schedule for national satellites. The spokesman said that at least one H-IIB launch for JAXA is planned every year.