Shitamachi Rocket (下町ロケット)

Tanegashima

Space Center

Lift-off in 30 seconds.

28 27 26 25 24...

The moment of truth has finally arrived, huh?

6 5 4 3 2 1

Main engine start. Ignite SRBs.

All right. Go, Seiren!

Initial azimuth angle 99°.

Heading southeast 15km over Pacific Ocean. Altitude 17km.

Engine combustion chamber pressure stable at 11.2 megapascal.

Good girl.

Engine thrust level normal.

Abnormality noted, abnormality noted!

Engine combustion chamber pressure decreasing to 10.1 megapascal.

Abnormality warning signal!

Engine thrust declining. Off the scheduled track. Approaching deadline soon.

Sensei!

Anticipated vertex altitude is approximately 70 km. Security problem noted.

There's difficulty with ignition of stage 2.

Emergency shutdown!

- Sensei, Sensei. Please wait! - Maintenance command on!

Someone has to be held accountable.

You're the one who developed that engine.

That's how it is.

Resignation

Are you really okay with this?

I told you several times already. It's not like I'm running away.

Someone has to take over Dad's company.

I'm being positive.

Don't worry.

I'll take care of you and Rina just like before.

7 years later

- Change in policy? - That's right.

The president's plan is to go with our own production in the future.

We'd like to terminate our business for your engine at the end of next month.

Wait a minute. You say end of next month, but

President of Tsukuda Manufacturing Tsukuda Kohei

it's already past the 20th this month.

To be suddenly told you're terminating business with us,

there's the issue of our production line

as well as personnel issues.

- Can't you give us a break? - That's your problem, isn't it?

President Tsukuda, we have our plans too.

But still, this is all too sudden.

Keihin Machinery HQ

The precision parts we provide to your company amount to no less than 1 billion yen a year.

Contrary to terminating business, you were even talking about increasing orders.

You're absolutely right.

- I'm sorry. - Sorry isn't what I want to hear...

I'm sorry but

Keihin Machinery Procurement Dept. Chief Tokuda

the decision's been made.

There's nothing I can do about it anymore.

- We're going to be in a deficit. - As expected.

Losing our business with Keihin Machinery means

a loss in sales of 1 billion yen, even by rough estimate.

Tsukuda Machinery

Tsun-san, wasn't there any indication before this happened?

Being that they're our biggest customer,

Sales Promotion Dept. #1 Chief, Tsuno Kaoru

I made sure I dropped by every week and I thought I was nurturing a good relationship with them, but

Sales Promotion Dept. #2 Chief Karakida Atsushi

I never thought they would terminate business with us so suddenly like this.

Technology Development Dept. Chief, Yamazaki Mitsuhiko

Is anything allowed if you're a big company?

President, I hate to bring it up at a time like this, but you'll have to do something about the financing too.

Are you talking about a loan? How much will we need?

At the very least, 300 million (approx. $2.5 million).

That much?!

- Do you think the bank will lend it to us? - It will be an uphill battle.

We have a pretty big loan already, and

if we go in a deficit, it will be even more difficult.

Expenditure for research and development is growing too.

- Research takes money. - I guess so.

But thanks to that, we were able to get a number of engine-related patents.

If we commercialize those, it would lead to increased sales.

- Can't you persuade the bank? - Do they have a potential to be commercialized?

Specifically, not yet.

What the bank is worried about

On loan from Hakusui Bank, Accounting Dept. Chief, Tonomura Naohiro

is that the patents we invested so heavily into

would turn into unused patents with absolutely no practical use.

Are you trying to say that our patents are meaningless?

Unused patents...worthless patents with no practical use

No, not me, but it's what the bank might think.

Tonomura-san, we're an R&D type of company.

Technology and know-how we accrue are direct results of our R&D.

If we lose that,

I think we'll rapidly lose our ability to compete along with our competitive edge.

I see.

Won't you try to understand?

I'll go prepare the loan application right away. If you'll excuse me.

What is it? If you have something on your mind, say it.

I wonder if he's really thinking about us.

All he ever worries about is money.

He's probably hoping to go back to the bank eventually, don't you think?

Tsukuda Kohei quit the Japan Aerospace Exploration Service (JAXS) and

succeeded the family business, Tsukuda Manufacturing, when his father passed away

7 years ago.

It was immediately after the rocket launch ended in failure.

Tsukuda Manufacturing, founded in 1964

and located in Ohta-ku, Tokyo,

is a mid-sized company which manufactures precision mechanical equipment.

This company, whose main business previously was electrical parts,

came to take on engines and peripherals that required extreme precision

after Tsukuda took over as president,

and their sales grew threefold.

Even then, it's still a mid-size business with annual sales of less than 10 billion yen (approx $83 million).

However, it owed its reputation that its technology and know-how pertaining to engines

are superior even to those of major firms

largely to Tsukuda's achievements when he was involved in

the design and production of rocket engines.

However, that R&D was not something that could be achieved overnight, and

required an enormous amount of capital.

Difficulty in securing loans, defection of client companies,

downsizing, internal harmony...

Now, what Tsukuda was faced with were countless problems,

not as a researcher, but as a company executive.

I'm sad.

He says you guys are useless patents.

I know you guys will be useful.

You're gonna do the world good, right?

First of all, you've borrowed too much money.

Moreover, if that money

is being pumped into some vague unknown thing...

- Are you talking about our R&D expense? - I'm sure you have your own thoughts, but

I can't possibly believe that your research is tied in to your company's sales.

But it is tied in. The fact that we give high priority to R&D

- is highly regarded by our clients. - Do you really think so?

What is it that you're developing,

Hakusui Bank Loan Department Chief, Yanai Tetsuji

- by investing a huge amount of capital like that? - That's...

engine-related parts, and we also own several patents.

You say engine-related parts, but

they're rocket engine's something or other, or hydro something system.

They're all things that don't have practical use.

Especially rocket-related parts. What are you going to do with them after you develop them?

Patented goods that don't reap profit are nothing but junk.

I'm sorry, but Tsukuda-san,

not a single person at this bank has high regard for your company's technology development skills.

Then what should we do?

I don't recommend spending any more money on R&D.

If you're a former banker too, you understand what I'm saying, right?

Are you telling us to stop our research and development?

We're not trying to force you, mind you.

But you know, Tsukuda-san, wouldn't it be better for

a small business to act like small business and set your sight on immediate profit?

But calling the things we made "junk" is going too far.

Don't you think so?

Listen, Tonomura-san!

Yes?

Never mind.

President, why don't you give R&D a break for a while?

Since no one from the company will say it, I will.

The profit that we worked so hard to gain is being gobbled up for research.

There's a lot of employees in the company who think so.

Even if you don't completely stop the R&D,

narrowing down the theme to more practical engines will lead to profit.

Then, I think the employees and the bank can be convinced.

Let's do that, President.

Thanks for telling me.

But I'm not going to stop doing research and development.

R&D is an absolute necessity for a developmental company like us.

Then at the very least, please stop the hydrogen engine related R&D!

You still can't forget the dream you had when you were a researcher, can you?

That's why you can't give up R&D.

But you're not a researcher anymore. You're a company president.

For now,

won't you give first priority to the company and the employees' livelihood?

After the United States' space shuttle program ended,

the privatization of space development advanced rapidly.

Now, companies from countries such as China, South Korea, India, and Vietnam

have announced their intention to participate in space development projects.

In order to win that race, Teikoku Heavy Industries, over the past 7 years,

have been working towards development of

a purely domestic rocket through in-house production of key technology.

The pride of Teikoku Heavy Industries - no, the national pride of Japan -

is riding on whether this Stardust Project succeeds or not.

Teikoku Heavy Industries, Space Development Division, Managing Director Zaizen Michio

The reason I had you all gather here today at this newly established rocket assembly plant

is not for an inauguration ceremony.

It's to make a renewed resolution.

And earlier,

the launch date of that new rocket was decided.

Teikoku Heavy Industries Space Development Division Chief, Tomiyama Keiji

October 15 of next year.

Exactly 1 year from today.

This date is set in stone.

1 year. We only have 1 year left.

From now on, we don't have a minute, a second to waste.

I need your help

to carry our dream

to the heights of space.

Teikoku Heavy Industries President Toma Hideki

I'm counting on you, Zaizen.

Yes, sir.

Remember, simply launching it isn't enough.

Teikoku Heavy Industries Aerospace Division, General Manager Mizuhara Shigeharu

In-house production of key technology.