【政府も投資】日本の「衛星」で世界が変わる！？宇宙ベンチャー「synspective」製造工場にカメラ初潜入【Nスタ解説】｜TBS NEWS DIG

Regarding the "space business," which has been a hot topic in the news following SpaceX's IPO, the world is currently focusing on "Japanese satellites." The government is also investing in this area. ■ From once every 90 minutes to once every 5-10 minutes: Japan's technology for "ultra-small observation satellites" Mai Izumi, newscaster: Alongside land, sea, air, and cyber defense, defense in outer space is becoming extremely important. While the business opportunities in outer space are exciting, there seem to be challenges as well. Yota Muroya, TBS News Department, Economic Section, reporter: In Japan, rocket launches are a challenge. Since it's necessary to load the rockets and transport them into space, rocket launches are crucial. Furthermore, it's important to be able to complete launches within Japan, which is why the government has designated the space sector as a key sector. It's one of the government's growth strategies, and the investment is projected to reach 14.3 trillion yen by fiscal year 2040. The government aims to foster the space industry through public-private partnerships. Izumi (caster): First of all, what exactly are satellites? ▼Observation Satellites Satellites like "Himawari," which you often hear about in typhoon information, are observation satellites. ▼Communication Satellites Some television broadcasts and Wi-Fi, which are transmitted via artificial satellites, are transmitted from communication satellites. ▼Positioning Satellites Situations that transmit location information, such as GPS, utilize positioning satellites. Especially regarding communications and positioning, governments and companies overseas have already deployed them in space as massive infrastructure. Japan has a competitive edge globally in observation satellites. Japan possesses the technology for ultra-small observation satellites. Because they use radio waves, observations can be conducted even in the rain or at night. Regarding the size of observation satellites, while they are usually about the size of a large truck, they have been miniaturized to the size of a washing machine or refrigerator. Only five companies in the world possess this miniaturization technology, and two of them are in Japan. Comedian Reiwa Roman Matsui Kemuri: What are the advantages of making them smaller? TBS News Department, Economic Section, Yota Muroya: Miniaturization offers the advantage of significantly reducing manufacturing and launch costs. ■Why does the US launch approximately 200 times a year while Japan only launches 3-4 times? TBS News Department, Economic Section, Yota Muroya: Synspective currently has five satellites in space and is launching one more every month. They aim to increase this to 30-40 satellites in the future. Izumi (Anchor): Since five satellites are already in operation, is there a need to launch more? TBS News Department, Economic Section, Yota Muroya: A satellite takes about 90 minutes to orbit the Earth. For example, to observe Tokyo, observation is only possible once every 90 minutes. Launching many microsatellites allows for high-frequency observation of the same location. Previously, observations were made once every 90 minutes, but now they can be made every 5 to 10 minutes, meaning information and situations can be observed almost in real time. Izumi (caster): If launches become possible in Japan, it seems like it will expand into business and defense. Matsui Kemuri (comedian, Reiwa Roman): What are the reasons why Japan cannot launch rockets? Yota Muroya (reporter, TBS News Department, Economic Section): Japan has a considerably low number of rocket launches. While the United States will launch approximately 200 rockets by 2025, Japan only launches 3 to 4 times a year, which is one reason for the low number of attempts. The reality is that the rocket business is very expensive, so government support is necessary. Takahiro Inoue (caster): While Japan cannot compete with China or the United States in terms of financial resources and scale, it is said to be a world leader in satellites and space debris removal. I think it's about how Japan can compete on its own turf. TBS News Department, Economic Section, Yota Muroya: The government is also paying attention to Japan's strength, as it's one of only five companies in the world with this technology, and two of them are Japanese. ■Real-time monitoring in disaster prevention and agriculture: Could Japan also be involved in a "data selling to the world" business? Izumi (caster): What can this ultra-small satellite do? For example, it can be used for infrastructure facilities, such as quickly checking ground deformation nationwide. Furthermore, it's expected to be used in agriculture, for example, to monitor crop growth. It's also expected to be useful in disaster prevention, as it will be able to detect the risk of landslides and other disasters in advance. It seems like a lot can be done if we can monitor things in...