SPACE WALKER

About SPACE WALKER

SPACE WALKER Inc. is a Japanese university-originated startup focused on developing reusable suborbital spaceplanes for both manned and unmanned missions. Founded in 2017 by Dr. Akihide Kanai and Professor Koichi Yonemoto, the company leverages over 40 years of Japanese research in winged space vehicles, including heritage from projects like HIMES and HOPE-X.

The company's primary objective is to make space travel more accessible and affordable, aiming to reduce the cost to one-tenth of current levels. SPACE WALKER is developing a fleet of suborbital spaceplanes, with the initial focus on a small unmanned vehicle for scientific experiments and satellite deployment, followed by a larger version capable of carrying passengers for space tourism. The ultimate vision includes developing a spaceplane that can take off and land horizontally at regional airports, much like a conventional aircraft. To achieve this, the company is developing a hybrid rocket engine that uses clean propellants.

SPACE WALKER's business model encompasses suborbital space tourism and the launch of small satellites. The company has established partnerships with key players in the Japanese aerospace industry, including JAXA, IHI Corporation, IHI Aerospace, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, as well as academic institutions like the Tokyo University of Science. These collaborations are crucial for transferring technology and expertise to accelerate the development of their spaceplanes.