/sci/ - Science & Math

>>16032496
I'm sure we're not getting the whole story on the English-speaking side of the pacific, but it looks like around 2017 Canon Electronics (the camera people) decided to get involved in the space launch business and founded Space One along with Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Shimizu Corp, and the Development Bank of Japan. Canon owns 70% of Space One with the others each holding 10%. IHI is the only one with any spaceflight in their standing portfolio, being responsible for the Epsilon LV, the boosters on the H2 and H3, and most of the Japanese sounding rockets, although Canon has been involved in satellite development. Shimizu and the Dev. bank mostly look like they're there for funding purposes.

Given the time-frame Space One/KAIROS might just have been a bandwagon attempt to get in on the perceived small launch goldrush by someone who had more than a few irons in the fire on the payload side of things. I'm sure they can out-compete the Epsilon at its current price and maybe hold their own against Interstellar Technologies/ZERO, but I think this is just a Japanese version of European small launch carving out a small niche in their own small, protectionist pond.