I think when most people think about the intersection of cars and rockets, they tend to think about Tesla and SpaceX, both of which are helmed by the reclusive and little-known former McLaren F1 owner, Elon Musk. But the truth is carmakers have been in the rocket business for decades, which is why the recent news that Toyota is getting into the mass-produced rocket business shouldn’t be such a shock. It still sounds kind of funny, though.
What’s going on here is that Toyota is investing over $44 million into a Japanese rocket company called Interstellar Technologies. The company is currently focused on small-payload-carrying rockets to place satellites into low earth orbit (LEO) or sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). These rockets are called Zero – no idea if that’s after the famed Japanese WWII Mitsubishi fighter plane – and the two-stage launch vehicle can carry 1,763 pounds to LEO or 550 pounds to SSO.
If you want to launch something on a Zero (a Nissan Pao will fit the weight requirements), you can see the payload requirements here.
Similar to SpaceX’s much larger Falcon 9 rocket, the Zero uses nine first-stage engines and one second stage engine:
(image: Interstellar)
Interstellar also is planning a much larger reusable launch vehicle called Deca that should become active in the 2030s, and it looks again to be taking a page from SpaceX with its vertical landing system.
(image: Interstellar)
That does look pretty familiar, doesn’t it?
Totota’s involvement is doing what Toyota does better than almost any other organization on the planet: mass-produce things. A Space & Defense article about the deal quotes the CEO of Toyota’s Woven by Toyota advanced-whatevers investment organization:
“We are excited to collaborate with Interstellar Technologies on the mass production of rockets,” said Woven by Toyota CEO Hajime Kumabe. “This business alliance will leverage the Toyota Group’s extensive manufacturing capabilities and combine our expertise to advance rocket production and further drive mobility transformation.”
All of this is interesting because it’s suggesting a future absolutely lousy with rocket launches of one type or another. For this level of ramping up production, there must be some pretty solid projections about future needs for orbital assets, though at this moment I’m not clear on what all of those may be. Maybe they’re finally going to build Earth the Saturn-like ring she’s always deserved.
Speaking of Saturn, I can’t write something about carmakers and rockets without reminding everyone that Chrysler helped to build the massive Saturn IB rockets that helped in the Apollo program and, among other things, launched the Apollo that linked up with the Soviet Union’s Soyuz for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
(image: Chrysler)
Yes, the same company that made the Durango also made a beast that hurled humans to Skylab! It’s humbling.
I don’t think the video of the SpaceX rocket landing and recapture can be overshared. What an incredible feat of human engineering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUr-5PYA7s
I can’t wait until this is normal behavior for spacecraft.
Obligatory: The guy associated with this company is a turd
I knew about the rocket, but I didn’t realize Chrysler also made Simcas and Sunbeams. Very informative poster
a Japanese rocket company called Interstellar Technologies. The company is currently focused on small-payload-carrying rockets to place satellites into low earth orbit (LEO) or sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)
That’s about a stretch for a company name as I think I’ve ever heard.
“Honda has jets? Let’s do ’em one better.”
I think I saw that guy on TV once, I heard a rumor he was doing some consultancy work for a politician and trying to make a quick buck on social media.
Grifters gon’ grift.
How far from the Earth’s surface do deer usually orbit?
They hide behind spent boosters until you get close. Then they jump out in front of the capsule. It’s sort of an X Files game of Chicken.
I’m hoping that wasn’t what they were thinking when they named it that. Yikes.
Also, as an avid space enthusiast, I have to point out that Chrysler built the first stage of the Saturn 1B and had nothing to do with the Saturn V. Still cool, but not “to the moon” cool.
crap! you’re right! I fixed it.
I believe Chrysler also built the “Redstone” that first put Al Sheppard into space.
The Mercury-Redstones were built by McDonnell.
McDonnell built the Mercury and Gemini capsules, yes. Chrysler built the Redstone missile used to launch the early Mercury flights.
The Celica was the perfect choice for the “TOYOTAKOFF” graphic.
Celica would also be a far better name for their rocket program than Zero, for obvious reasons.
Subaru would be better than Zero as well. It’s the Japanese name for the Pleiades.
One of my Pet Peeves. There are currently more than 11,000 satellites in orbit. We need to slooooow down on launching things into space. We need maybe a UN Orbital committee that can stop some of these launches.
I mean, it’s more that we shouldn’t be launching constellations. Fully half of those 11,000 are Starlink alone.
When the orbits decay the objects simply fall apart (mostly) and tend to rain down on the oceans or people’s houses and property. The US is responsible for most space junk and it’s insane that it’s a big expense to get stuff up there but once it’s up (and in immediate freefall), you as a launcher or equip mfr, simply wipe your hands and walk away…it’s now someone else’s problem.
I guess that’s the capitalist way.
We only need one more to fix that mess up there:
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/spaceballs/images/f/f0/Mega-Maid.webp/revision/latest?cb=20220515101832
This is a real concern, one major mishap and there could be a chain reaction shutting Earth off from space.
Sandra Bullock made that frighteningly plausible in that space movie
with a 16.5% stake in Subaru, Toyota has always been in the rocket business
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCvH3LZFliE
That landing render looks like something you would find on amazon called EeZoom Far-con X and it would include other badly shopped photos of some other random items superimposed with some odd specs like 40,000 specific impulse!
The label on the side of the rocket is especially bad here.
World War III?!! How long was I asleep?
Not long. The US declared war on Greenland and Panama on January 21, 2025, despite warnings not repeat Germany’s mistake engaging in a two-front war. Also because it would be stupid. We lost. So now rather than Canada becoming the 51st state, Canada now has 60 provinces and we’re all here talking about cars in Greenlandese.
Thankfully, Greenlandese sounds a lot like English, in case you were wondering. Except New England. They all have to speak French. You should hear French with a Boston accent. It’s amazing.
QOTD. And real talk, old Danish and old English used to be mutually intelligible, so the Norse and the Brits could complain at each other about the weather.
The English thing to do would be to politely thank the Norse for bringing the delightful weather with them, then complain about it behind their backs.
Source: am English.
I can confirm that new Danish sounds nothing like new English except that every dane speaks perfect English.
Indeed they do. Danish is an old language and they’ve worn all the consonants down to nubs.
And the Gulf of Mexico became the Gulf of Canada? Makes as much sense as anything these days.
So did they capture the giant orange turd and imprison him finally?
Cause I could easily live with those changes…
I said we lost.
LOL
THAT is COTD right there!