2024-02-16 17:57:06
The podcast “SNEAK PEEKS at SZ MEMBERSHIP” ishereYou can watch it from here.
────Hello everyone. At SNEAK PEEKS at SZ MEMBERSHIP, the editor-in-chief will decipher the most popular stories from among the articles published for SZ membership. This week’s theme is “SPACE,” and today we welcome Masashi Sato, co-founder, director, and COO of SPACETIDE, as our guest.
Michiaki Matsushima (hereinfollowing referred to as Matsushima)I have attended several SPACETIDE conferences and have reported on them on WIRED.jp. In addition to planning and managing the project, Mr. Sato is also involved in various activities aimed at promoting space business, and has been participating in space ventures since 2019. I would like to hear more regarding your activities later. First of all, regarding recent space-related news, there was a bright topic such as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) spacecraft “SLIM” landing on the moon.
Related article:The key to expanding the space economy lies outside the space industry: “SPACETIDE 2023” report
Masashi Sato (hereinfollowing referred to as Sato)that’s right. Landing on a gravitational body has long been a goal of the Japanese space industry. I think it’s great to be the fifth person in the world to accomplish this.
MatsushimaAn article regarding SORA-Q, the ultra-compact, transformable lunar robot installed on SLIM, was also widely read. In addition to JAXA, Takara Tomy, the Sony Group, and Doshisha University are also involved in the development of this robot.
Related article:Turning toy technology into a lunar robot: The dreams and wisdom packed into the ultra-compact, transformable lunar robot “SORA-Q”
SatoThis situation in which major companies that everyone knows are expanding into the space field is actually a rare occurrence outside of Japan. I think it is a unique and good thing regarding Japan that companies and organizations other than related companies are also showing an active attitude towards the space domain. SORA-Q can be picked up at museums and toy stores, and we believe that this trend, in which unexpected industries such as equipment manufacturers are also beginning to connect to space, is a very good thing for boosting the space industry. I am.
MatsushimaThat’s a characteristic of Japan. It will be interesting to see what kind of players will increase in the future. Now, let’s get to the main topic.This week, we have chosen “SPACE” as the article theme for SZ members, and have featured many space-related articles that are worth reading. In particular, this article was selected as “Scientists unraveling the mysteries of the hidden oceans that exist in the solar system,” which explains why the oceans exist underground in the moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn. Yes, it is still shrouded in mystery… While several possibilities are being discussed, it is said that the only place that is known to have an ocean is Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Did you like reading it?
This week’s articles:Scientists uncover the mysteries of the solar system’s hidden oceans
SatoI studied planetary science in university, and there has been a debate regarding the existence of oceans in Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, and Enceladus, Saturn’s moon mentioned in the article, for over 20 years. I remembered… In October 2024, NASA plans to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft to confirm the existence of an ocean on Europa. We are trying to actually collect data on what has been discussed so far, and I am watching the progress while thinking that it will be amazing if it turns out as I imagined.
There is a lot of talk regarding going to the moon and then going to Mars, as the saying goes, “Moon to Mars”, but we still don’t have much of a picture of what will happen to the space industry in the future. However, I think there are various possibilities around Jupiter. In addition to Europa, which is said to contain liquids such as water containing salts suitable for the birth of life, the same is true for Jupiter’s moon Io. Io is thought to have an ocean made of magma, and as mentioned in this article, it is said to provide a clue as to why the ocean can remain liquid in an icy world. There are various satellites, and I have high hopes that if the value of Jupiter becomes clearer through these satellites, the direction the space industry is aiming for will change significantly.
MatsushimaAccumulating data over decades while keeping the next generation in mind, and the rapid development of technology. The romance that arises from these combinations is one of the interesting things regarding space. I believe that SPACETIDE’s mission is to develop and expand the space industry, but what do you think of it when you look back at the conferences you’ve held so far?
SatoWe launched SPACETIDE in 2015 and held our first conference that fall. At that time, our theme was “When you come here, you will understand new trends in space business.” At the time, the space business was run separately, with some people working on space travel and others working on satellite data, so I thought it was very important to show the whole picture in one picture. Once we were able to share this knowledge, the flow shifted to creating something together, and last year’s theme became “Space Business, Expansion of a New Economic Zone.”
MatsushimaConsidering the theme of the first year, does this mean that there were relatively few players in the space business when you started?
SatoI agree. Many of Japan’s space ventures were founded around 2010, so at first there were only 10 venture companies. That’s why in 2015, the conference was held for half a day. But lately, I’ve been doing it from morning to night over three days. All formats are in English.
MatsushimaYou can see that the level of attention is increasing. Besides venture companies, what other players are entering the space business field?
SatoAt first, I was in the digital/IT field. As small satellites began to be launched cheaply and in large quantities, the amount of data would increase tremendously, so major companies that were experts in how to analyze and handle that data entered the field. When it became clear that other industries might also participate in the space field, a variety of companies, including electronic equipment manufacturers such as Sony and Canon Electronics, came into the space. Then there are car manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. We are working on areas such as rockets and energy infrastructure. In this way, many so-called technology companies have entered the market by horizontally deploying their respective technologies. Recently, general trading companies, advertising agencies, and insurance companies have also become involved in space projects. As technology develops, it will expand into areas such as the content industry and risk management. Another unique thing is related to the International Space Station (ISS).
MatsushimaThere is talk that the ISS is aging and will cease operation by 2030.
SatoIt’s been constructed since the late 1990s, so it’s quite old, and the environment it’s orbiting in is quite harsh. Japan is also thinking regarding what to do regarding this. Therefore, there is a project that JAXA has ordered from a private company, and Mitsui & Co. is leading the project. I think many people are surprised that we are a general trading company. Mitsui & Co. is part of the consortium team that brings together everything from technology to the content industry, and Shiseido and others are also participating. I feel that there is a growing tendency for companies in various industries to turn their attention to space, and according to SPACETIDE research, there are probably around 120 companies. I have never collected comparative data, but the number is increasing year by year, and I think Japan is probably the best in the world when it comes to physical sensation.
MatsushimaThat’s right. Does Japan have any characteristics in terms of the balance between the government and the private sector?
SatoI think that cooperation between the public and private sectors is extremely important in Japan. The government also supports space business, and I think the biggest news is the creation of the Space Strategic Fund. In other words, JAXA will become like a bank, providing funds to space startups and universities. A fund of 300 billion yen was set up as the first step, with a scale of 1 trillion yen over 10 years. Up until now, government support has been one or two orders of magnitude different between the United States and Japan, but it feels like large amounts of money are finally starting to flow from the government to the private sector. This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I think the Japanese government is now starting to get serious regarding it, 15 years behind the United States.
MatsushimaIt seems like we are finally getting a big drive. Mr. Sato, you are also involved in a venture capital (VC) company called Beyond Next Ventures. Are there any areas that you see as promising in terms of the direction Japan should take?
SatoI think there are two things. First of all, I think there will be businesses in the maintenance management field, such as renovating first-generation space infrastructure to extend its lifespan or connecting satellites to improve the efficiency of data line operations. Looking back at history, Japan sees opportunities for success in niche industries, or rather, it is very good at solving small problems with technology. A typical example is the management of space debris, an area that also has implications for national security. How can we manage the human infrastructure and machines that overflow in space, including rule-making? Technological development is also essential, and it is necessary to involve the international community, but I think this is an important challenge that is worth taking on.
The other thing is to go further into space. There are actually very few countries that are progressing with space exploration. I mentioned SLIM at the beginning, but while there are only a limited number of countries that can do this kind of thing, Japan fortunately has been working in this area since the days of the National Space Development Agency (NASDA), the predecessor of JAXA, and has a long history. There is. There are very few countries in the world that have accumulated both the government’s technology and the technology of large companies, and the only way to win is to use these technologies to go to the moon, Mars, and Jupiter and create industries. I think it might be Japan.
────Mr. Sato, thank you for giving me the opportunity to think regarding space from various angles! February WEEK #2 includes articles on new observation results of the Milky Way, the James Webb Space Telescope, and North Korean science fiction, as well as the fifth installment of the series “Introduction to Technological Philosophy for Technology Designers.” So please check it out.
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*This article is not a transcription of the audio, but has been edited and length adjusted for ease of reading.
（Edit by Erina Anscomb）
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