The Wakayama Prefecture policy document and vision for the future, named ‘Dynamic Global Wakayama: actively supporting citizens to thrive’, outlines plans and goals to be achieved more effectively and efficiently, detailing how to realise strategy for the coming decades outlined in a long-term comprehensive strategy for the region.
As well as focusing on and reviewing all existing projects, the prefecture is creating new policies concentrating on the roles of the prefectural government, including supporting new space-related industries.
Regenerating the area around the rocket launch site
Kushimoto Town, Wakayama Prefecture, is located at the southernmost tip of the Japanese archipelago and has a population of about 15,000. The area is well known throughout Japan for the Hashiguiiwa Rocks (a nationally designated scenic natural monument) with 40 large and small rock pillars standing in a row of about 850 meters under the sea like a stone bridge, and the sacred Kii Mountains, a world heritage site, one of the world’s unique pilgrimage routes.
Wakayama Prefecture succeeded in attracting the company Space One to Kushimoto Town, established through joint investment by Japanese private companies such as Canon Electronics Inc., IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd., and Shimizu Construction Co., Ltd., which in March 2019, established in the town. The construction of the first private small rocket launch site “Space Port Kii” was confirmed and construction is now almost complete, with the first launch scheduled for the end of 2022. Until now, there have been few opportunities to launch artificial satellites that are becoming smaller and more sophisticated, and the cost of launching a single rocket is high. Currently, multiple small satellites are put into orbit by launching them on the same mission. This makes it difficult to schedule when operations can begin. Therefore, by launching a small satellite with a dedicated small rocket, the aim is to shorten the launch process of satellites from contract to launch, which currently takes about two years, to under 12 months.
In addition, the aim is to launch 20 vehicles a year by the mid-2020s. The plan is to develop a commercial space transportation service for small satellites with the world’s shortest period from contract to lift off and the world’s highest frequency of launch.
The economic benefit to Wakayama due to the location of the rocket launch site is expected to be approximately 67 billion yen over 10 years (approximately £400 million). In addition to the effects of direct investment and job creation, it is also expected to be a new tourism asset. Additionally, the global demand for launching small satellites is expected to increase significantly in the future. To capture this demand, companies will be attracted to growth fields such as space and rocket-related industries centred on the launch site in the medium to long term.
Promotion of space education
With the cooperation of stakeholders such as Space One, from 2024 a new “Space Exploration” course will be established in the prefecture’s Kushimoto Koza High School in Kushimoto Town, the location of the launch site, as well as basic science and courses on related industries working on space. The detailed curriculum is to be confirmed from 2022 to 2023, and Space One operating Exploration Agency (JAXA) will be invited as lecturers. The prefecture is planning tothe rocket launch site, and staff of the Japan Aerospace begin preparations for a specialized subject where students can learn about the mechanism of rockets. This is the first public high school in Japan to set up a space specialization course in a public high school. The aim is to recruit students from all over the country who are interested in space and to develop human resources who will play an active role in the space field in the future.
