ALE will use the US$6 million funding to launch the Sky Canvas Project in 2018

ALE funding

Japanese space entertainment startup ALE today announced that it has raised a JPY700 million (US$6 million) funding from undisclosed angel investors to launch its on-demand meteor shower services.

The Tokyo-based startup uses micro-satellites packed with pellets to bring the meteor shower to life. After being launched into space, the micor-satellite will release the pellets to cause atmospheric re-entry, causing a meteor-like effect.

The startup claimed that the artificial meteors will be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye over “the brightest city skies” such as Tokyo, and has the potential to reach audiences across an area 200 kilometers in diameter on the ground.

The funding will be used to accelerate product development and marketing efforts in preparation for the Sky Canvas Project, which is set to launch in 2018.

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The artificial meteors will be marketed to corporations and governments for entertainment purposes, such as outdoor festivals, sports games, city promotions and theme parks.

“We are excited to showcase our artificial meteor project, the very first of many we plan on undertaking as a
space entertainment company,” said ALE Founder and CEO Lena Okajima in a press statement.

“As the first pioneers in the space entertainment field we aim to consistently further the frontiers of this industry while contributing to scientific research,” she added.

Apart from its commercial purpose, ALE will also use its artificial meteors for research purposes, particularly as a vehicle to observe the upper atmosphere, to collect data on atmospheric re-entry of objects, and to better understand the nature of natural meteoroids.

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The startup is led by Okajima, who has a Ph.D in astrophysics from the University of Tokyo, and four research directors from academic institutions across Japan.

Check out the video to get a picture of what they are going to do: