NTT DOCOMO Ventures Invests in ElevationSpace Inc. which is Developing a Logistics Service to Transport Goods from Space to Earth

NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO & CCO: Yuko Sasahara; hereinafter, “NTT DOCOMO Ventures ”) is pleased to announce that, through a fund that it manages, it has invested in ElevationSpace Inc. (Headquarters: Sendai-shi, Miyagi; CEO: Ryohei Kobayashi; hereinafter “ElevationSpace”), a company aiming to realize transportation services from space to Earth and services utilizing the space environment.

ElevationSpace is a space-tech startup with the vision of “building a transportation network that connects people and goods in orbit.” The company is engaged in the development of re-entry and recovery technologies for small spacecraft returning from space to Earth.
The International Space Station (ISS), which has been widely used for purposes ranging from basic scientific experiments to industrial applications, is scheduled to cease operations at the end of 2030 due to factors such as structural lifespan. This has created a challenge in ensuring the continued availability of platforms for utilizing the space environment.

Looking ahead to the “post-ISS era”, ElevationSpace is collaborating with JAXA and Tohoku University to advance a business that transports research and manufacturing outputs, produced in the microgravity environment of space, back to Earth. Specifically, the company is developing free-flyer-type on-orbit demonstration and recovery satellites capable of retrieving materials independently without relying on space stations like the ISS. At the same time, it is working on services to transport experimental results obtained on space stations back to Earth with high frequency.

The NTT Group is engaged in creating new services by leveraging the potential of space business and the space industry across its group companies. Through this investment, NTT aims to further strengthen its collaboration with ElevationSpace and pursue the creation of new value in the space domain.

■ElevationSpace Inc. Profile