Aerospace Experiments

Launch Complex-0, the runway, and other facilities at HOSPO have hosted numerous launches of suborbital launch vehicles by businesses, universities, and other organizations. Such vehicles include CAMUI hybrid rockets developed by Hokkaido University, the Hokkaido Aerospace Science and Technology Incubation Center (HASTIC), and Uematsu Electric Co., Ltd., as well as MOMO sounding rockets developed by Interstellar Technologies Inc. Since 2017, MOMO rockets have been launched seven times, reaching space on three occasions.

Launch Complex-1 will be a launch site designed for orbital launch vehicles, specifically small ones. It will be equipped with facilities including a launch pad, an assembly building, and a tank yard for propellant supply.

Rocket engine firing tests are conducted by Interstellar Technologies Inc. at HOSPO’s Launch Complex-0. Additionally, engine firing tests by Innovative Space Carrier Inc. are under way on the runway. HOSPO supports not only rocket launches but also various test operations.

The runway is used for flight tests on small aircraft and helicopters, as well as for cold-weather testing that leverages winter conditions.

Space science experiments using large balloons have been conducted at HOSPO since the signing of a cooperation agreement between Taiki Town and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2008. In recent years, the spaceport has also hosted balloon experiments by businesses.

Outdoor demonstration tests for drones and experiments on next-generation mobility systems, including electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, are conducted on the runway.