NYK Line secured technical approval from Japan’s maritime classification body ClassNK for its ambitious rocket recovery project, marking another entry into the increasingly competitive reusable rocket market dominated by SpaceX.
The Japanese shipping company, formally known as Nippon Yusen, plans to spend the next two years developing technical designs before conducting field tests in fiscal 2028. The project, selected for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Space Strategy Fund in April, represents the first time a shipping company has participated in such a program.
NYK met with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which handles the rocket technology aspects, to determine operational scenarios and preliminary designs for ships capable of soft rocket landings at sea. The collaboration leverages NYK’s maritime expertise while MHI provides space industry knowledge.
The company will develop fundamental technology for offshore recovery vessels capable of safely capturing, recovering, and transporting reusable rockets, including vehicle-capture technology using fixed-point positioning at sea and safety systems for handling residual propellant.
The initiative puts NYK in competition with established players like SpaceX, which has successfully recovered Falcon 9 boosters hundreds of times since 2015. Blue Origin recently attempted its first rocket landing at sea during New Glenn’s maiden flight in January, though the booster was lost during the recovery attempt. Rocket Lab is also developing sea-based recovery systems for its Neutron rocket.
NYK established its Advanced Tech and Space Business Development Team in April 2023, pursuing three areas: offshore rocket launches, rocket recovery, and satellite data utilization. The company aims to leverage Japan’s maritime advantages to provide cost-effective launch and recovery services.
The project reflects Japan’s broader push to develop domestic space capabilities as launch costs become increasingly critical for commercial viability. Success could position NYK as a key infrastructure provider in the growing reusable rocket market, though the company faces significant technical challenges in a field where even industry leaders still experience failures.
