Aerospace Case Study

Space Tourism Initiative

The space tourism flight offered by Iwaya Inc. is a world's-first premier service that involves boarding a cabin suspended from a high-altitude gas balloon and flying to a maximum altitude of 18,000-25,000 meters within the stratosphere. Upon reaching this altitude, passengers can enjoy a scenic flight while gazing at the vast expanse of space behind them and the blue-glowing outline of the Earth from inside the cabin.

The stratosphere is a harsh environment characterized by low temperatures, low pressure, and near-zero oxygen. The company manufactured pressurized balloon cabins designed to withstand such conditions and equipped with life support systems. Additionally, the balloons feature a special mechanism to adjust buoyancy and are designed to safely prevent sudden ascent or descent. Thanks to these technologies, passengers do not need to undergo long periods of special training or wear spacesuits, allowing them to easily enjoy space tourism. The flight time from takeoff to landing is approximately 4-6 hours, with about one hour dedicated to the experience of viewing space and Earth. Currently, the cabin accommodates two people (one pilot and one passenger), but the company is conducting research and development for larger cabins in the future, aiming to allow more people to experience the beauty of space.

The roots of the company's balloon development date back to 2011, when Keisuke Iwaya, the founder and current CEO, was still a university student and began space photography using balloons. After graduating in 2012, he successfully photographed Earth for the first time from an altitude of 33,000 meters using a self-made unmanned balloon. After years of pursuing this personal endeavor, Iwaya Inc. was officially established in 2016.

Through various trials and errors, over 400 flight tests, and the support of many people, what started as a personal project of a camera-equipped balloon led to the development of larger balloons capable of carrying heavier loads. In 2020, the company began full-scale research and development with the aim of achieving manned space tourism. After several rounds of fundraising, in February 2023, the Open Universe Project platform was launched, advocating for the democratization of space and aiming to popularize and develop the space tourism business through co-creation with various partner companies.

Subsequently, in July 2024, a manned test flight using the same type of aircraft as those planned for commercial operation successfully reached an altitude of over 20 kilometers for the first time in Japan. Finally, in 2025, the world's first commercial operation of a space tourism flight by balloon was scheduled to commence.

Machining Challenging Parts: Solutions by Yumoto Electric

Machining the pocket shape of the white POM part is challenging, not only due to its depth but also because of the radius on the bottom surface. The area requires contour machining, which takes longer than usual. If the corner radius were 3 or more, machining time could be reduced, making it a candidate for cost reduction.

The A7075 machined part has a pocket shape with a depth of 60.3mm and a corner radius of 2.5mm. Chatter occurred during machining, which required reducing the feed rate, and this single process took several hours. Relaxing the conditions to R5 or more would shorten machining time, making it a candidate for cost reduction.

This part required machining on all surfaces and had a C1 chamfer around the entire circumference, leading to numerous processes and time-intensive labor. Furthermore, the part itself was large, placing a significant load on the overall machining operation.

Initiatives and Results

At Yumoto Electric, we don't just machine and deliver parts; we prioritize solving our customers' challenges. We strive to understand the purpose behind the drawing and respond to the real-world needs of manufacturing sites. We directly address the detailed requests from the production floor—requests that mass production factories often find difficult, such as minor changes to a specification, using different materials for just one spot, or urgently needing just one piece. Our job is to respond to those on-site constraints and processes promptly.

For example, we once received an urgent request to deliver a part in three days when it normally takes one week. We swiftly coordinated all internal processes, from blueprint to material procurement, machining, inspection, and shipping, and successfully met the deadline. Yumoto Electric's policy is not just to produce quickly but also to maintain quality. Producing according to the drawing is a given. Our manufacturing philosophy lies in attending to the customer's true objective and exceeding expectations.

"As we advance the development of various cutting-edge balloon technology components, we often need external technical support and collaboration. Yumoto Electric has been incredibly cooperative in such situations."

"Whenever we work with Yumoto Electric, they take the time to carefully confirm every technical detail, giving us peace of mind. Their quick, accurate communication during quoting and ordering also helps keep our operations running smoothly. We also occasionally require parts quite last minute due to sudden design changes. Even in those cases, Yumoto Electric responds with remarkable speed, which allows us to move forward with our development projects without delay."