Oita Prefecture is a regional government in Japan actively working to establish a spaceport at Oita Airport, aiming to become a hub for the space industry in Asia. Oita Prefecture collaborates with companies like Sierra Space to study the feasibility of landing commercial spaceplanes, such as the Dream Chaser, at Oita Airport. The prefecture is fostering a local space industry and plans to utilize the spaceport for launches, transportation to space stations, and return trips, hoping to stimulate the regional economy. Associated keywords: spaceport, horizontal launch, Dream Chaser, space industry, regional development.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
In July 2022 the EHang EH216 completed Japan’s first eVTOL point-to-point demonstration flight for air mobility in Oita City, Oita Prefecture.
Oita Prefecture and Virgin Orbit established a partnership in April 2020 to launch satellites from the Oita Airport Spaceport after 2022, and plans are underway.
Sierra Space announced on 2022-02-26 an agreement with Kanematsu Corporation and Oita Prefecture to study the feasibility of using Oita Airport in Japan as a landing site for the Dream Chaser vehicle.
Under the memorandum of understanding, Virgin Orbit will lead efforts to provide funds and support for LauncherOne orbital missions to launch from Oita Prefecture in Japan.