Axelspace CEO Yuya Nakamura (right) and Nikon President Yasuhiro Omura at a press conference on the launch of next-generation satellites in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on May 19. (©Sankei/Ryo Nishiyama)
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Tokyo-based space startup Axelspace announced on May 19 that it will simultaneously launch seven next-generation Earth observation satellites, called GRUS-3, sometime after July.
Equipped with telescopes manufactured by Nikon, the satellites will dramatically improve imaging frequency and coverage while also delivering sharper images. The domestically produced satellites are also expected to be used for national defense purposes.
Founded in 2008, Axelspace operates a space business centered on small satellites. It currently runs the Earth observation platform AxelGlobe using five GRUS-1 optical observation satellites with a ground resolution of 2.5 meters. The platform is already used in more than 30 countries worldwide.
At a press conference, Axelspace CEO Yuya Nakamura said: "We want to leverage our strength in high-frequency, medium-resolution satellite imagery. As a new form of social infrastructure, we aim to support global-scale information gathering and corporate decision-making."
Nikon President Yasuhiro Omura also appeared at the event and highlighted the company's space heritage: "Since NASA adopted Nikon cameras for the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, we have continued delivering images from space. The telescope we provided to Axelspace draws on that accumulated expertise and boasts high optical performance."
Daily Imaging Through Satellite Constellation
With the launch of the seven GRUS-3 satellites, Axelspace will establish a "satellite constellation" observation network. In regions above 25 degrees north latitude, observation frequency for the same location will improve from once every two to three days to once per day.
The constellation will be capable of observing up to 2.3 million square kilometers (around 888,000 square miles) per day, allowing it to image nearly all of Japan daily.
The next-generation satellites will also improve image resolution from 2.5 meters to 2.2 meters. Combined with newly developed image sensors, the system will produce significantly more detailed images than the numerical improvement alone suggests.
Expanding Commercial and Defense Demand
The company has already signed letters of intent (LOIs) for image purchases with more than 25 companies in Japan and overseas. Beyond existing applications such as agriculture and disaster prevention, Axelspace aims to expand into new markets, including environmental monitoring and sustainability.
In February this year, Axelspace announced that it had won a contract from Japan's defense ministry for a satellite constellation development and operation project. The initiative is intended to acquire imagery needed for Japan's counterstrike capabilities against enemy bases, and GRUS-3 is expected to play a role.
CEO Nakamura explained: "Once the satellites become operational after launch, we expect to contribute to the defense ministry project. Defense is one of the key areas of demand."
Amid restrictions imposed by some US satellite imagery companies on access to high-resolution images of Middle East conflict zones, Nakamura said Axelspace hopes to capitalize on its position as a domestic provider of medium-resolution imagery unaffected by such limitations.
GRUS-3 is also expected to help compensate for the loss of the Japanese optical satellite Daichi-3, which was destroyed in a rocket launch failure in 2023.
Like Daichi-3, the new satellites will carry sensors capable of detecting the coastal blue wavelength band used for coastal monitoring.
The GRUS-3 satellites are scheduled to launch sometime after July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. All seven satellites have already been transported to the United States and are awaiting launch.
Author: Ryo Nishiyama, The Sankei Shimbun
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