News Release
ORIX Invests in Small Rocket Development and Launch Company SPACE ONE
Jan 16, 2025
TOKYO, Japan – January 16, 2025 – ORIX Corporation (“ORIX”) announced that it has subscribed to bonds with share acquisition rights with SPACE ONE Co., Ltd. (“SPACE ONE”), a company that engages in the businesses of developing small rockets and launching artificial satellites. This is the first time that ORIX has invested in a space industry-related company.
SPACE ONE is a company providing space transport services that was established in 2018 through joint investment from CANON ELECTRONICS INC., IHI AEROSPACE CO., LTD., SHIMIZU CORPORATION, and Development Bank of Japan Inc. It undertakes the entire series of processes from development to manufacturing and launch of KAIROS, a small rocket for transporting small artificial satellites.
With high performance and low cost, KAIROS is a small rocket that is easy to operate and characterized by its ability to be flexibly launched according to the orbit and time period required by customers. SPACE ONE also owns Space Port Kii, a rocket launch site operated by the company in Kushimoto-cho, Wakayama. Located in an open area with the sea to its south and east, the launch site has the advantage of being able to put artificial satellites into a wide variety of orbits.
Today, the global space industry market is estimated to be approximately 54 trillion yen and expected to grow to a scale of 140 trillion yen in 2040*1. Within this industry, artificial satellites are used mainly in fields such as positioning, communication, and earth observation. In the future, besides existing governmental demands for disaster prevention, damage state confirmation during disasters, and national security, artificial satellites are expected to see greater use in the private sector, including the digital transformation of industries and monitoring of climate change impact. Currently, Japan has a shortage of launch sites and rockets that can transport artificial satellites at high frequency and low cost into space. Toward solving this issue, SPACE ONE aims to contribute to the building of key social infrastructure that supports Japan’s space industry through Space Port Kii and KAIROS.
At ORIX Group, ORIX Rentec Corporation provides services such as outsourced testing using the environmental test facilities of a space center*2 and rental of an entire compact thermal vacuum test chamber that recreates the conditions of space*3.
Through this investment, ORIX will support the growth of SPACE ONE’s business and at the same time contribute to the development of the space industry which has expectations as a social infrastructure in the future.
*1 Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, “Initiatives of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Way Ahead Taking into Consideration Space Industry Trends in Japan and Overseas”[5.36MB] (in Japanese)
*2 Website of ORIX Rentec: Test services using environmental test facilities at the Tsukuba Space Center, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)(in Japanese)
*3 ORIX Rentec Begins Rental Service for Compact Thermal Vacuum Test Chamber (December 23, 2022)
â– Overview of SPACE ONE Co., Ltd.
Inauguration | July 2018 |
---|---|
Representative | President Masakazu Toyoda |
Address | Landmark Shiba-Koen 6F, 1-2-6 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
Description of Business | Development of space transportation systems for small satellites, commercialization of space transportation services, and other businesses |
Contact Information:
Investor Relations and Sustainability Department
ORIX Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3435-3121
About ORIX Group:
ORIX Group (ORIX Corporation TSE: 8591; NYSE: IX) was established in 1964 and has grown from its roots in leasing in Japan to become a global, diverse, and unique corporate group. Today, it is active around the world in financing and investment, life insurance, banking, asset management, real estate, concession, environment and energy, automobile-related services, industrial/ICT equipment, ships and aircraft. Since expanding outside of Japan in 1971, ORIX Group has grown its business globally and now operates in around 30 countries and regions across the world with approximately 34,000 people. ORIX Group unites globally around its Purpose: “Finding Paths. Making Impact.” combining diverse expertise and innovative thinking to help our world develop in a sustainable way.
For more details, please visit our website: https://www.orix.co.jp/grp/en/
(As of September 30, 2024)
Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements:
These documents may contain forward-looking statements about expected future events and financial results that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results that differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and under “(4) Risk Factors” of the “1. Summary of Consolidated Financial Results” of the “Consolidated Financial Results April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024” furnished on Form 6-K.
- View PDF of this release
- PDF
[165KB]
- PDF