The Entrepreneurship Side of Commercial Space Activities in Japan - A New Wave of Japanese Space Industry

Paper number

IAC-08.E6.1.12

Author

Ms. Misuzu Onuki, Space Frontier Foundation, Japan

Coauthor

Mr. Tomofumi Hirosaki, Manned Rocket Project, Japan

Coauthor

Mr. Shuji Ogawa, PD AeroSpace, LTD, Japan

Year

2008

Abstract

Space entrepreneurship and the activities of space venture companies are very active in the U.S. in addition to government and big companies space developments. There are several categories of these venture companies; NASA contract companies, DOD/DARPA contract companies, billionaire owner companies, and investment capital fund-raising companies, and so on. The NASA budget is 10 times bigger than the Japanese space budget and the DOD/DARPA budget is inestimable. There are chances for venture companies to have contracts from them in many ways. Also, billionaires have gotten into space business development recently. Space development seems to be the latest attractive challenging and charming field for them in the U.S.

In contrast, there are almost no cases where billionaires have gotten into the space business in Japan. There is not as big a space development budget in Japan, nor are there any chances to share in the self defense budget for venture companies. Self-defense is strictly controlled by the government and its budget is only for big companies what is called self defense companies such as heavy industries and electric companies. However, even with these constraints activities of space venture type of companies are popping up and getting active gradually for the last few years in Japan.

There are several categories of Japanese space venture companies such as space transportation, satellite, engineering, space business development and services, and expansion of new area of space business such as related matters of living in space for the International Space Station. For example, Space Futon, a space sleeping bag is one of them. One of the Japanese characteristic things is that even big companies which have gotten into space business have found the entrepreneurship and venture companies’ spirit. Also, another characteristic thing is regional space development by space venture companies and venture companies coming from spin-outs of university laboratories are noticeably unique activities.

Because there are almost no cases of billionaires starting or joining space businesses, space development so far seems not to be so attractive in Japan. In addition, investment circumstances for space business are very difficult. It is necessary for venture companies to find a more attractive essence, and projects which encourage the flow of investor’s money in any way. The small group of Japanese venture companies even invite investment in new space transportation development, which is regarded as the last thing to invest in because of risk. 

Several charming Japanese venture companies will be introduced in this paper and their business and financial strategy will be reviewed. Also, there will be some consideration of new ways for space venture companies to advance and how to begin to encourage investor’s money for the first time to flow into the space field in Japan.

Abstract document

IAC-08.E6.1.12.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-08.E6.1.12.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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