Interstellar Technologies, a Japanese space infrastructure company, has partnered with Woven by Toyota, a division of the Toyota Group, to accelerate the mass production of rockets. This collaboration aims to revolutionize rocket manufacturing by applying Toyota’s production techniques to create a high-quality, cost-effective, and scalable process.
Woven by Toyota will be the lead investor, contributing approximately Y7bn ($44.3m) in the first close of Series F funding. Additional funding is expected in the second close of Series F, along with the appointment of a director from Woven by Toyota to enhance Interstellar’s corporate governance.
The alliance between Interstellar and Toyota Motor Corporation dates back to 2020 when they began exchanging personnel. The focus of this partnership is on cost reduction, lead-time shortening, and establishing a mass production system for rockets.
Interstellar Technologies CEO Takahiro Inagawa expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “Woven by Toyota, a leader in driving mobility transformation within the Toyota Group, is the ideal partner to help us evolve our rocket production from one-of-a-kind manufacturing to a scalable supply chain, bringing our vision of ‘a future where everyone can access space’ to life.”
The announcement of this partnership came after Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda’s speech at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. During his speech, Toyoda provided an update on the company’s experimental city project at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. He also mentioned Toyota’s exploration of rockets, emphasizing that the future of mobility should not be limited to just earth or one car company.
In addition to rocket launchers, Toyota is collaborating with Japan’s space agency to develop a lunar rover for the NASA-led Artemis program. The Lunar Cruiser, developed in partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, is set to launch in 2029, expanding exploration for crewed and uncrewed space missions.
Woven by Toyota CEO Hajime Kumabe emphasized the significance of the business alliance, stating, “This partnership will leverage the Toyota Group’s extensive manufacturing capabilities and combine our expertise to advance rocket production and further drive mobility transformation.”
This collaboration between Interstellar Technologies and Woven by Toyota marks a significant step towards revolutionizing rocket manufacturing and advancing space exploration capabilities. The integration of automotive industry expertise with space technology is set to bring about groundbreaking advancements in the field of aerospace engineering.
