Eguchi Iwao Joins ALE's 'Starlight Challenge,' the World's First Artificial Meteor Demonstration Project, as Corporate Partner

ALE, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Lena Okajima), a startup pioneering the world’s first artificial meteor, announces that Eguchi Iwao Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; President & CEO: Jun Hashimoto) has joined the artificial meteor demonstration project 'Starlight Challenge' (hereinafter, 'the project') as a corporate partner.

Under this program, Eguchi Iwao will conduct evaluations of the space durability and explore potential new applications for its coating and chemical technologies. ALE will continue to support new entrants into the space industry by providing technological proposals and demonstration support utilizing its artificial meteor satellites.

From left: Lena Okajima, CEO of ALE; Jun Hashimoto, President & CEO of Eguchi Iwao

Collaboration Project with Eguchi Iwao: Evaluating Coating and Chemical Technologies in Space

Founded in 1907, Eguchi Iwao is a comprehensive chemical products distributor handling coatings, metal surface treatments, adhesives, sealants, and more. Leveraging decades of technical expertise primarily in the automotive industry, the company now operates both domestically and internationally.

In this project, Eguchi Iwao will conduct various durability tests and demonstration trials to evaluate the potential use of its coatings and materials in the space sector.

In current space development, materials used on the exterior of satellites must withstand extreme conditions such as outgassing in a vacuum, ultraviolet radiation, cosmic rays, and drastic temperature fluctuations. This project will conduct evaluations and verifications under such space-specific environmental conditions.

Additionally, leveraging ALE’s artificial meteor satellites, actual in-orbit demonstration tests are also being considered.

Comment from Jun Hashimoto, President & CEO of Eguchi Iwao Co., Ltd.

Eguchi Iwao has decided to sponsor ALE’s 'Starlight Challenge,' the world’s first meteor demonstration project, as part of its new business initiatives.

Building on over 120 years of coating technology developed since our founding, we are jointly conducting R&D with our partner manufacturers on coatings designed for use in space environments, such as on satellites and lunar rovers. To further accelerate these efforts, we will verify coating performance in actual space through this project.

In this project, we will install our painted panels onto the artificial meteor satellite to generate meteors and observe and analyze the condition of our color-coated films with heat-insulating properties, aiming to establish coating technologies suitable for space environments.

Moving forward, we will continue to leverage our long-standing technical expertise and strive for sustainable growth and value creation for society by challenging new frontiers.

About 'Starlight Challenge'

・The world’s first artificial meteor mission, aiming for demonstration by FY2028

ALE’s artificial meteor project is the world’s first space entertainment mission that releases proprietary metal pellets (meteor sources) from a satellite launched into low Earth orbit at approximately 400 km altitude, creating artificial meteors. ALE aims to conduct the demonstration by FY2028.

Artificial meteors glow in the mesosphere at altitudes of about 60–80 km and are characterized by moving more slowly than natural meteors. Additionally, observations can collect data on atmospheric composition and wind speed in the mesosphere, with potential applications in upper-atmosphere observation and scientific research.

【About Eguchi Iwao Co., Ltd.】

Eguchi Iwao Co., Ltd. is a comprehensive chemical products distributor founded in 1907. The company handles coatings, metal surface treatments, adhesives, sealants, and painting equipment, supporting a wide range of industries, primarily automotive. Operating globally, the company leverages its long-standing technical expertise and knowledge to provide strong technical proposals.

https://www.eguchi-iwao.co.jp/

【About ALE, Inc.】

ALE’s mission is to “connect science to society and make space a cultural sphere.”

By realizing humanity’s infinite curiosity through technology, ALE aims to advance science and space industries and enrich human life.

https://star-ale.com/