Japan’s Interstellar Technologies is set to be the first private company to launch its own rocket in the country. Standing at 8.5 meters and a dry mass of 250 kilograms, the rocket can deliver a payload of 10kg to an altitude of 130km, or 20kg to an altitude of 120km with a flight time of 10 minutes. Compared to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket which has a the thrust of 845kN, Interstellar’s Momo rocket has a modest thrust of 12kN. Quite a big leap for a company that started out as a hobbyist group, back in 1997.



Still, it’s a start. And because the company is using liquid-fueled engines rather than solid rocket motors, the traditional means of powering sounding rockets, it suggests that Interstellar eventually plans to get into orbital flights.

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Source: [H]ardOCP – Japanese Company Preparing for Country’s First Private Rocket Launch