Japanese conglomerate Mitsui and Co. has set up a new subsidiary, Japan LEO Shachu, Inc., aiming to develop a module for installation on future commercial space stations.

Mitsui reported that the subsidiary was established on July 1, 2024, and that the venture would serve Japanese research, space exploration, and national security needs.

Japan LEO Shachu will aim to handle cubesat deployments from Japan's Kibo module on the International Space Station (ISS). The venture will pursue the “Japan Module,” an HTV and new HTV-X cargo spacecraft module. The module would include a pressurized area for research, manufacturing, and other applications and an external platform for additional payloads.

Mitsui also reported that the new venture would be open to partnering with American and other international commercial space station developers. Mitsui has previously invested in Axiom Space in 2021 and collaborated with it in 2022 .