Hokkaido, Japan, August 18, 2025 – SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd., the operator of Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO), signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Firefly Aerospace, a market leading space and defense technology company, to study the feasibility of launching Firefly’s Alpha rocket from HOSPO.
“I’m very pleased we have signed an MOU to study the feasibility of launching Firefly’s orbital rocket from HOSPO where we aim to launch a variety of rockets frequently,” said Yoshinori Odagiri, President and CEO of SPACE COTAN. “By taking advantage of the ideal location of Taiki Town in Hokkaido, we will support various launch service providers and contribute to the revitalization of the space industry in the region.”
With the MOU now in place, SPACE COTAN will begin defining the launch site operation concept, evaluating system requirements, and assessing licensing and regulatory requirements to launch Firefly’s Alpha rocket from HOSPO.
Located in Taiki, Japan, HOSPO is a commercial spaceport open to the private sector in Asia that offers many geographical advantages, such as an expansive sea to the east and south and a large landmass that allows for rapid expansion of the launch site. The suborbital launch site, Launch Complex 0, is already in operation at HOSPO, and developments are now underway on a new orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1.
“Firefly will continue to expand our responsive launch capabilities to meet the growing demand of the satellite market across the globe,” said Adam Oakes, Vice President of Launch at Firefly Aerospace. “We look forward to exploring the opportunity to launch our Alpha rocket from Japan, which would allow us to serve the larger satellite industry in Asia and add resiliency for U.S. allies with a proven orbital launch vehicle.”
Firefly’s small-lift rocket, Alpha, is equipped to launch more than 1,000 kg to LEO and can be launched domestically or internationally through Firefly’s existing launch facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and new launch capabilities coming soon at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and Esrange Space Center in Sweden.
About SPACE COTAN Co., Ltd.
SPACE COTAN operates the Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO) in Japan and was recently selected for the Japanese government’s Space Strategy Fund to conduct research and development on launch site operation concepts and fundamental technologies to enable a highly frequent launch schedule at HOSPO. Taiki Town, where HOSPO is located, has been attracting the aerospace industry for 40 years and is one of the most suitable locations for a world-class spaceport due to its geographical advantages. For more information, visit https://hokkaidospaceport.com/.
