Rendition of OTV

TOKYO, June 10, 2026 – Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that it has been awarded a subsidy for the Development of Inter-Orbit Transportation Vehicles (OTVs) under the Technology for Realizing Flexible Mobility in Space program, which is being financed by the 2^nd Phase of the Space Strategy Fund¹ managed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The company was previously selected as a representative organization for the project and will develop OTVs in that capacity.

As space development expands, the market for on-orbit services—such as in-orbit assembly and manufacturing, refueling, inspection, repair and parts replacement—is expected to grow substantially. Accordingly, efficient logistics for on-orbit services will be essential for expanded space utilization.

Mitsubishi Electric has already developed spacecraft for various types of orbits, including the H-II Transfer Vehicle “KOUNOTORI” (HTV), the new unmanned cargo transfer vehicle (HTV-X), the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) spacecraft, and geostationary satellites. Leveraging the navigation, guidance and control technologies cultivated through these projects, Mitsubishi Electric will now develop an OTV capable of moving freely between orbits to transport satellites and other payloads.

Mitsubishi Electric will also develop transport trajectory planning methods that plan destination orbits and transfer routes to optimize transfer efficiency and minimize propellant consumption. The goal is to develop an OTV that can respond flexibly to user needs, navigate between orbits, and load and release payloads in space without being limited to specific applications or transport routes. The company also aims to verify the feasibility of autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) using physical AI and robotics for the safe and effective capture, handling and release of payloads in space.

Mikihiro Sugita, Senior Technical Manager in the Satellite Control Engineering Section, Space Infrastructure Systems Department of Mitsubishi Electric’s Kamakura Works, said, “We are very pleased to be selected as a representative organization for the Space Strategy Fund project. By developing an OTV as an innovative and sustainable logistics solution, we hope to contribute to space logistics that support and expand the use of space.”