Japanese Interstellar Technologies Raises $130M Series F to Advance Orbital Launch Vehicle

Japanese launch vehicle developer Interstellar Technologies has raised $129.7 million (¥20.1 billion) in a Series F round, as it continues work toward its first orbital launch.

The round brings the company’s total equity funding to $288 million (¥44.6 billion). In addition to the equity round, the company secured $34.2 million (¥5.3 billion) in debt financing.

The new capital will be used primarily to continue development of Zero , a two-stage small launch vehicle powered by methane and liquid oxygen and designed to place up to 1,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. Interstellar is targeting a first launch of Zero in 2027. Funding will also support the scale-up of manufacturing capacity and work on a separate communications satellite programme.

Interstellar has secured multiple customers for Zero’s inaugural mission, with eight cubesat payloads booked to date from Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United States.

The company has yet to attempt an orbital launch. Its prior flight experience comes from Momo , a suborbital rocket that flew seven times between 2017 and 2021, with three missions declared successful.

The funding comes amid a challenging period for Japan’s launch sector, which has faced setbacks across both government-led and commercial programmes. In this context, Interstellar is positioning itself as a domestic provider targeting the growing small satellite launch market.

Beyond launch services, the company said part of the funding will be used to advance a communications satellite system based on formation-flying spacecraft, intended to enable phased-array antennas for direct-to-device connectivity.

Sources:
Interstellar Technologies
SpaceNews
FutureSpaceFlight

J.V.