A Japanese startup has successfully launched a small rocket into space, becoming the first private company in Japan to achieve that feat.
Interstellar Technologies launched the rocket on Saturday from the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. The company said the unit reached an altitude of 100 kilometers.
The 10-meter rocket can carry a payload of about 20 kilograms and create zero gravity for about four minutes. The firm hopes to work with businesses and research institutes to perform experiments under weightless conditions.
Interstellar Technologies also has its sights set on the business of sending satellites into space. It plans to launch a rocket with a small satellite in about four years.
Interstellar Technologies launched the rocket on Saturday from the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. The company said the unit reached an altitude of 100 kilometers.
The 10-meter rocket can carry a payload of about 20 kilograms and create zero gravity for about four minutes. The firm hopes to work with businesses and research institutes to perform experiments under weightless conditions.
Interstellar Technologies also has its sights set on the business of sending satellites into space. It plans to launch a rocket with a small satellite in about four years.
◆startup新興企業、ベンチャー企業 a new company that has been started fairly recently
◆feat難業、偉業 something that is an impressive achievement, because it needs a lot of skill, strength etc to do
◆payload (宇宙船やロケットの)最大積載量 the amount of goods or passengers that can be carried by a vehicle, or the goods that a vehicle is carrying