US aerospace company Firefly Aerospace is exploring the possibility of launching its Alpha rocket from a spaceport in Hokkaido, Japan. If realized, Japan would become Firefly’s second overseas launch site and its first in Asia.
As Firefly seeks to expand its global satellite launch services, it is evaluating a launch of the Alpha rocket from Japan. This development was announced by the Japanese company Space Cotan, which operates the spaceport in northern Hokkaido.
Space Cotan revealed it has signed a preliminary agreement with Firefly to assess the feasibility of launching the small-lift Alpha rocket from Hokkaido. Firefly Vice President of Launch Operations Adam Oakes said, “Launching Alpha from Japan will allow us to serve the broader Asian satellite market and provide a reliable orbital vehicle for US allies.”
Ryota Ito, a spokesperson for Space Cotan, noted that feasibility studies will evaluate regulatory requirements, timelines, and necessary investments for a launch pad at Hokkaido. He also emphasized that a US-Japan Space Technology Safeguard Agreement (TSA) is required for the plan to proceed.
Since 2021, Firefly has conducted six Alpha launches, four of which ended in failure, with the most recent unsuccessful attempt in April. While Japan’s private space sector is still in its early stages, many Japanese satellite operators prefer foreign options like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 or Rocket Lab’s Electron.
Previously, Virgin Orbit had planned a launch from Oita, Japan, but the project was canceled following the company’s bankruptcy in 2023. Colorado-based Sierra Space aims to land its spaceplane in Oita after 2027. Taiwanese company TiSpace recently attempted its first foreign launch in Hokkaido, which failed during the suborbital flight. The Japanese government aims to launch 30 domestic rockets annually by the early 2030s and provides subsidies to local ventures such as Space One and Toyota-backed Interstellar Technologies.
