Japan ‘s privately developed rocket ‘Momo-3’ reached outer space

A Japanese aerospace startup Interstellar Technology Inc. has become the first private firm in Japan to launch a rocket into space. It has successfully launched a small rocket ‘Momo-3’ from its test site in Hokkaido, which reached about 110 kilometers (68 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean after 10 minutes of flight time. With this feat, Momo-3 has become the Japan’s first privately developed model to reach outer space. The rocket is about 10 meters (32 feet) long & 50 centimeters (1.5 feet) in diameter, and weighs about 1 ton. The rocket is capable of putting payloads into orbit. The Interstellar Technology, founded in 2013 by former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie, aims to develop low-cost commercial rockets to carry satellites into space.