A Taiwanese startup aims to be the first foreign firm to launch a rocket from Japan by early next year, a move that industry advocates say will support Tokyo’s ambitions of becoming a space hub in Asia.
TiSpace’s planned suborbital launch has encountered regulatory hurdles and delays, raising questions about whether Japan should welcome overseas businesses as part of its strategy to double its 4 trillion yen ($26 billion) space industry over the next decade.
Founded in 2016 by current and former officials from Taiwan’s space agency, TiSpace has yet to achieve a successful launch. The company’s most recent attempt, conducted by its sister company AtSpace in Australia in 2022, failed due to an oxidizer leak. The rocket to be tested in Japan features a different design.
“This planned launch should be a very good case for the Japanese government,” TiSpace chairman Yen-sen Chen told Reuters in an interview. “If it goes smoothly, it will attract more customers from other countries.”
Chen said the company is awaiting one final regulatory approval, a radio permit that will enable the launch of the 12-meter (39 ft) sounding rocket, which he hopes will occur by early 2025. A sounding rocket can reach space but does not achieve orbit.
Some analysts have suggested that launching a Taiwanese rocket in Japan might attract China’s attention, given its claims over Taiwan and its interest in the island’s missile-related technologies. However, Chen stated that he had not heard any concerns.
