Akihide MANABE
Founder & CEO
SW
Space Walker
space-walker.co.jp
Website unreachable since Oct 31, 2026
SPACE WALKER is developing ECO ROCKET®, a winged, fully reusable sub‑orbital spaceplane that takes off from and lands on runways, enabling frequent, low‑cost access to space. The vehicle combines a patented ultra‑lightweight composite propellant tank with carbon‑neutral liquid bio‑methane fuel and an autonomous guidance system to minimize environmental impact and operational costs for commercial, research, and tourism customers.
- Aerospace
- Clean Technology
Updated 5 months ago
Funding
Raised to date
$4.9MRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Funding rounds are not available yet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Current space launch services rely on single-use rockets that generate significant waste and depend on carbon-intensive propellants, limiting the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of frequent sub‑orbital flights. This hampers broader access to space for research, tourism, and commercial payloads.
Solution
Space Walker is developing a winged, fully reusable sub‑orbital spaceplane called ECO ROCKET® that can take off, fly to sub‑orbital altitude, and return autonomously to a runway. The vehicle uses an ultra‑lightweight composite propellant tank built with patented material technology to reduce mass and improve efficiency. Propulsion is provided by a carbon‑neutral liquid bio‑methane fuel, minimizing greenhouse‑gas emissions. An advanced guidance, navigation, and control system enables fully autonomous flight and precise landing without ground crew intervention. By combining reusability, low‑emission fuel, and runway‑based operations, the system aims to make space access comparable to commercial air travel in frequency and cost.
Target Audience
Primary customers are commercial operators, research institutions, and tourism companies seeking frequent, low‑cost sub‑orbital access, as well as aerospace partners interested in sustainable launch technologies.
Features
- Winged sub‑orbital spaceplane design allowing runway take‑off and landing, eliminating the need for dedicated launch pads
- Patented ultra‑lightweight composite propellant tank that maximizes payload capacity while reducing structural mass
- Carbon‑neutral liquid bio‑methane propulsion for low environmental impact
- Fully autonomous flight control system with real‑time navigation and guidance for safe round‑trip missions
- Reusability architecture targeting rapid turnaround between flights, similar to commercial aircraft cycles