Virgin Orbit bankruptcy casts shadow over Japan’s space dreams

The bankruptcy filing by Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc has dealt a blow to Japan’s hopes of building a domestic space industry, with plans for a Kyushu-based spaceport designed to attract tourism on hold for lack of funding.
Oita prefecture, home to Japan’s largest number of hot springs, partnered with Virgin Orbit in 2020 to create its first Asian spaceport at Oita Airport using a Boeing 747 for horizontal rocket launches.
Founded by British billionaire Branson, Virgin Orbit had marketed itself as a military and intelligence satellite launch platform for the U.S. and its allies, including Japan, at a time when both Washington and Tokyo see China’s rise as a space power as a concern.
The original aim was to launch small satellites from Oita as early as last year, but that never occurred, in another setback in Japan’s attempt to become a player in the crowded market for commercial satellite launches after two recent rocket launch failures.