What Happened
Tokyo Seeks Private Sector Help for Space Transport Initiative
Japan’s Defense Ministry is soliciting research proposals from private companies to develop small rockets that can quickly launch alternative satellites if existing ones are attacked or malfunction. The ministry has allocated around 70 million yen for the research initiative and aims to decide on a contractor by February next year. The development of rapid launch capability is seen as critical for security and emergency response, particularly in light of warnings about China and Russia developing ‘killer satellites’. The initiative was reported by Kyodo News.