Japan Launches Commercial Rocket Business .

Japan launched for the first time early Friday a rocket with a non-Japanese payload, fulfilling a spare-no-expense, two-decade quest to compete in the world's $4.3 billion commercial satellite-launch business. Japan enters an increasingly crowded orbit of newer players and established companies delivering space cargo at relatively low cost, raising questions about whether Tokyo's long campaign risks fizzling shortly after it takes off. More

(Source: Wall Street Journal - May 17)