Source: Compiled by China International Composite Materials Industrial Technology Exhibition
Recently, Interstellar Technologies, a space aerospace startup headquartered in Hokkaido, Japan, announced that Toyota Motor Corporation has invested 7 billion yen (approximately $44.3 million) through its subsidiary Woven by Toyota, entering the high-launch-rate reusable rocket launch market. Additionally, Toyota Motor Corporation will gain a seat on the executive board of Interstellar Technologies.
Toyota Motor’s CEO Akio Toyoda confirmed this news at CES 2025. He stated, “We are also exploring the development and production of orbital rockets, as future transportation should not be limited to Earth or to one automobile company.” This investment by Toyota Motor not only provides Interstellar Technologies with urgently needed financial support but also opens up vast opportunities for cooperation between the two parties in technology research and development, market expansion, and other areas.
According to Aviation Week, this startup is attempting to mimic SpaceX’s vertical integration strategy by launching carrier rockets and communication satellites internally and plans to leverage Toyota’s expertise in automotive production methods to achieve its goal of mass manufacturing. It aims to transform rocket manufacturing into a high-quality, cost-effective, and scalable process.
Woven by Toyota CEO Hajime Kumabe said, “Toyota has continued to transform by taking on challenges in various transportation fields, including land, sea, and air. Interstellar Technologies is a company that aligns highly with our vision for future transportation. This business alliance will leverage the extensive manufacturing capabilities of the Toyota Group, combined with our expertise, to further drive changes in the transportation sector.”
Founded in 2013, Interstellar Technologies has conducted seven launches of the small suborbital MOMO rocket. This small liquid-fuel rocket first entered space in 2019, making it the first Japanese company to send a commercial rocket into space. Interstellar Technologies has a long history of using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) components and structures. The successor to the MOMO rocket, the ZERO, is a two-stage suborbital rocket with a fairing 3.6 meters high and 1.7 meters in diameter, made of CFRP. In February 2023, Interstellar Technologies conducted a MOMO rocket fairing separation test at its Fukushima test site, and the test results showed that the fairing successfully separated as designed.
According to Aviation Week, Interstellar Technologies is also developing the reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle DECA, which is expected to be operational in 2030. The rocket will retain the design concepts and production techniques demonstrated and accumulated by the MONO and ZERO rockets—therefore, it is likely to continue using CFRP composites.
Toyota has its own background in supporting and using composites, which are used in Toyota’s own mobility solutions or in applications where it has invested. The most recent investment was Toyota Motor Corporation’s additional $500 million investment in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer Joby Aviation to support the certification and commercial production of this composite-intensive aircraft.
