The overview of the small satellite market and Japan’s space capabilities

Contributed article by
Prof. Mengu Cho, Kyushu Institute of Technology

Today the small satellite market is one of the fast growing areas in the space sector. Since 2013, the number of under-50kg satellites has shown explosive growth thanks to the proliferation of CubeSat development worldwide. As of January 2016, 45 countries have launched under-50kg satellites.

Accordingly, there is a growing worldwide demand for small satellite components and related services. Japan led the small satellite sector by launching 41 under-50kg satellites as of January 2016 -- the second most in the world following the USA.

In Japan, because of its high-tech infrastructure, there is large and dynamic domestic industrial base to support small satellite development and utilization. We believe Japanese companies and institutions are in a position to assist other people in the world who want to enter the space sector via small satellites or who want to enhance their existing small satellite capabilities.

This new website has been established to answer calls from our friends and colleagues who want to access Japanese small satellite products and services. I hope this site serves as a portal for you to discover more about Japan’s world-class products and services. Please feel free to explore the world of Japan’s space capabilities.

Sincerely,
Mengu Cho, Ph.D., Professor
Kyushu Institute of Technology