Entrepreneurship with the aim of social implementation of research results at the University of Tokyo
First of all, please give me an overview of your company.
Mr. Pale Blue Asakawa: We are a venture company originating from the University of Tokyo that takes on the R&D and manufacturing of propulsion machines that can be mounted on small satellites. It was founded in 2020 with the aim of social implementation of "water engine" technology born from a laboratory in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The founding members are researchers who have been engaged in research and development of propulsion machines for many years, and I am the representative director.
Our origin goes back to the laboratory to which we belong. The laboratory was challenging not only basic research on propulsion machines but also actual operation of satellites in outer space, both basic research and practical use. Based on my experience at that time, I learned that there is a gap between the results required for university research and the results required for actual use, and that basic research alone does not implement social implementation, but on the contrary, actual use alone does not improve the basic performance of propulsioners easily. Therefore, in order to fill the gap between the two, we established our company.
Please tell us in detail about the project called "Development of satellite propulsioners".
Mr. Pale Blue Asakawa: You may not be familiar with satellite propulsioners. The propulsion machine is like an engine when compared with a car. After being separated from the rocket, satellites can freely move in space by an internal propuler. However, conventional propellants are high pressure gas and highly toxic, and there is a limit to miniaturization. In addition, there is a need to resolve the fact that finished satellites and their fragments continue to remain in orbit as space debris. Therefore, we hope to contribute to solving various issues surrounding small satellites by providing highly safe satellite propulsion machines.
Please tell us about the characteristics of your propulsion machine.
Mr. Pale Blue Asakawa: Our propulsion machines are so small that they can be mounted on ultra-small satellites, and water is used as a propellant. In conventional propulsion machines, hydrazine and xenon are used as propellants, but these substances have problems in terms of safety and procurement costs. Our "water engine" uses "water", a safe, non-toxic, low price, and sustainable resource. Currently, we are developing water vapor propulsion machines, water ion slasters, and water hole slasters. Among them, the water vapor propulsion machines are actually mounted on small satellites and have succeeded in in orbital injection experiments.
PBR-10, Pale Blue water vapor propulsion device
Large equipment can be brought in because the space is large and the ceiling is high.
Please tell us how you moved to Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1.
Mr. Pale Blue Asakawa: Since its inception, we have been developing technology at Tokatsu Techno Plaza (a venture support facility in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture). However, as the business expanded steadily, the facility alone became too small, so we arrived at Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1 in search of a new location.
Mr. Pale Blue Yamanaka: When moving into Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1, it was a big point that we were able to rent the first floor with high ceilings and large equipment and equipment without difficulty. Especially in the case of our business, large equipment and equipment are required for research and development, so in the case of general rental labs, we could not carry the essential equipment due to floor weight restrictions or physical restrictions.
Please let me know if there are any "the advantages of the lab" that you actually felt when you moved in.
Mr. Pale Blue Yamanaka: Shared facilities such as conference rooms are also very substantial. In the future, I would like to hold meetings of the Board of Directors and general meetings of shareholders at Kashiwa-no-ha Lab. I think the hall is also very beautiful.
Mr. Pale Blue Asakawa: "Beautiful" is a very important point, and the environment where you work is closely linked to the motivation of the people who work there. In the future, we would like to actively hold casual events in Kashiwa-no-ha Lab, for example.
We want to spread the use of small satellites with safe and inexpensive water engines.
Do you have any exchanges in the same lab?
Mr. Pale Blue Yamanaka: I participated in the exchange event several times. You will also have the opportunity to greet you again at events and other events with people you know during the break, exchange business cards and ask about your business in detail. Our company is a different type of industry in Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1, which is centered on the biotechnology industry, called R&D of satellite propulsioners, so we would like to ask everyone to speak well. In that sense, we are expanding the base of interaction with other companies.
Please tell us about your future development.
Mr. Pale Blue Asakawa: Among the water engines under development at our company, we aim to establish a technology for mass production as the next step for the steam propulsion that has already been successfully demonstrated in outer space, and we plan to proceed with the development at Kashiwa-no-ha Lab 1.
At the same time, we plan to continue further technological development at Kashiwa-no-ha R&D Center for water ion slasters and water hole slasters, which have not yet completed demonstration experiments in space for the same water engine. We hope to further enhance the potential of small satellites and contribute to the sustainable and dramatic growth of space development in the future by promoting the use of propulsion machines that use water, which excels in terms of safety, procurement costs, and sustainability.
