Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, announced that it has been awarded a subsidy for the Development of Inter-Orbit Transportation Vehicles (OTVs) under the Technology for Realizing Flexible Mobility in Space program, which is being financed by the 2nd Phase of the Space Strategy Fund managed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The company was previously selected as a representative organization for the project and will develop OTVs in that capacity. As space development expands, the market for on-orbit services such as in-orbit assembly and manufacturing, refueling, inspection, repair and parts replacement, is expected to grow substantially. Accordingly, efficient logistics for on-orbit services will be essential for expanded space utilization.
Mitsubishi Electric has already developed spacecraft for various types of orbits, including the H-II Transfer Vehicle “KOUNOTORI” (HTV), the new unmanned cargo transfer vehicle (HTV-X), the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) spacecraft, and geostationary satellites.
Leveraging the navigation, guidance and control technologies cultivated through these projects, Mitsubishi Electric will now develop an OTV capable of moving freely between orbits to transport satellites and other payloads.
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