GS Yuasa Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6674; “GS Yuasa”) today announced that GS Yuasa Group company GS Yuasa Technology Ltd. has been selected for  Development/verification of parts/components for establishing satellites supply chain category of the Space Strategy Fund Program administered by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) (President: Hiroshi Yamakawa, Head Office: Chofu City, Tokyo) for its proposal to develop lithium-ion battery technology for space applications.

This fund is a new funding agency for the space sector established within JAXA. It aims to promote technology development by setting themes in three areas—transportation, satellites, and exploration—with three goals: expanding markets, solving social issues, and pioneering new frontiers. The themes are based on technologies identified in the Space Technology Strategy, and the fund supports private companies and universities in developing these technologies over multiple years (up to 10 years).

Securing domestically produced batteries for use in space is an area of growing demand and is an important technological field for Japan to compete globally. Therefore, research and development in this area is important for the perspective of enhancing competitiveness and economic security, and is expected to yield positive results.
Our proposal includes measures such as revising quality assurance standards to facilitate mass production and shorten delivery times. The quality assurance know-how gained through this technological development is expected to be useful not only for this specific technology but also for various other technological developments within the country, leading to its selection for this program.

Our lithium-ion batteries for space applications have been used in more than 250 satellites and other spacecraft, both domestically and internationally, since they were first tested on orbit in the early 2000s. We will utilize this fund to develop a next generation of lithium-ion batteries for space applications and establish a system for their practical application.

*1 Since developing the first lithium-ion battery for space applications in 1998, we have been working with JAXA to continuously improve battery performance through four generations of development. The fifth generation, currently under development, aims not only to achieve even higher energy density but also to meet the increasingly diverse needs of users.