Toyota, the iconic car manufacturer, is setting its sights far beyond the roads — diving headfirst into the space industry with a bold investment in rocket technology as a future mode of transportation!
This week, Woven by Toyota, a subsidiary of Toyota, announced a $44.4 million investment (approximately 7 billion yen) in the startup Interstellar Technologies, marking Toyota’s official entry into the booming space sector.
From Roads to Rockets: Toyota’s New Frontier
During his appearance at CES in Las Vegas, Toyota’s chairman Akio Toyoda made a bold statement, saying:
“We’re exploring rockets too because the future of mobility isn’t limited to just the Earth — or to just one car company.”
Was that a subtle jab at Tesla? It might be! After all, Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, is already a major player in the space race with SpaceX.
A Strategic Partnership to Conquer the Skies
Toyota’s collaboration with Interstellar Technologies aims to scale up rocket production and meet the growing global demand for satellite launches.
According to Interstellar’s CEO, Takahiro Inagawa, Woven is the perfect partner to transform the startup’s niche manufacturing techniques into a scalable supply chain, helping to unlock a future where space is accessible to everyone.
Interstellar’s Journey: From Failure to Breakthrough
Founded in Japan, Interstellar made headlines in 2017 as the first private Japanese company to launch a rocket — though the first attempt ended in failure. However, they bounced back with a successful test flight two years later, sending a payload to the edge of space.
Toyota’s Space Vision: Beyond Just Rockets
Toyota and Interstellar have been working together since 2020, with Toyota contributing engineering talent to help cut manufacturing costs and work towards mass production of launch vehicles.
But Toyota’s ambitions don’t stop at rockets! The company is also building Woven City, a futuristic smart city at the base of Mount Fuji, serving as a testbed for cutting-edge technologies. And guess what? Toyota is even exploring creating its own satellite communication network — a possible rival to Starlink — to power Woven City’s seamless connectivity.
Always Connected, No Matter What
In an interview with TechCrunch, Hajime Kumabe, CEO of Woven by Toyota, emphasized:
“When you think about constantly moving vehicles, you need uninterrupted connectivity — reliable, real-time communication with zero disruption is essential.”
Toyota x Space = The Future of Mobility
With Toyota blending automotive innovation, space exploration, and smart city development, the line between roads and skies is blurring faster than ever. Buckle up — the future of mobility is no longer limited to Earth!
