Elon Musk‘s Starlink is getting competition from Tesla’s Japanese rival –. Toyota. The car company Toyota is investing $44 million in Japanese rocket startup Interstellar Technologies, aiming to help it mass-produce lightweight rockets and compete in the growing commercial space industry. The investment, made through Toyota’s Woven by Toyota subsidiary, will also give Toyota a seat on Interstellar’s board.
This move underscores the Japanese government’s push to bolster its private space sector, which faces significant challenges competing with established giants like SpaceX. While the US and China launch dozens or even over a hundred rockets annually, Japan’s successful launches remain in the single digits. Interstellar, which aims for 30 annual launches by the early 2030s, acknowledges the need for a “structural transformation” of Japan’s space industry. The company plans to leverage Toyota’s manufacturing expertise to create a “high-quality, cost-effective, and scalable” rocket production process.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda hinted at the investment at CES in Las Vegas, emphasizing the company’s broader interest in transportation innovation beyond cars, even suggesting competition with SpaceX. This aligns with Toyota’s existing space-related activities, including a 2019 collaboration with JAXA on a lunar rover for NASA’s Artemis program. “The future of mobility shouldn’t be limited to just cars. Or just one car company, for that matter,” Toyoda said.
The Interstellar investment is part of a wider trend of companies seeking to capitalize on the growing demand for satellite launch capabilities. The Japanese government is also supporting this sector with a ¥1 trillion strategic fund for space-related startups, manufacturers, and research institutions.
Despite these efforts, Japan faces challenges, including geographical limitations for launch facilities. Recent setbacks, like Space One Co.’s failed commercial rocket launch, highlight the difficulties of achieving orbit. However, Woven CEO Hajime Kumabe emphasized at CES that Toyota’s “craftsmanship expertise” will be a valuable asset to Interstellar’s rocket manufacturing, framing the investment as an expansion of mobility across land, sea, and air. Notably, at the same event, Nvidia announced Toyota as a new customer for its autonomous driving AI products.
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