For years, small manufacturers in the greater Tokyo area have been trying to market their technologies for space-related projects, hoping that work by their master craftspeople will find its way into rockets and satellites.
It is not a far-fetched pursuit, given that the highly skilled workers in these back-street workshops produce many precision components for automakers and other industries. And some in fact are already suppliers for space projects.
But whether such work can become a viable business is another matter. Insiders say it's tough making money from space-related work due to a lack of steady demand.