Letara

Our Origins: Born in the Snow, Built for the Stars

About Letara:

Letara was founded in 2020 by engineers from Hokkaido University’s Laboratory of Space Systems, one of Japan’s top research centers for space propulsion. But our story began long before that. The hybrid engine technology we’re building today is the culmination of over two decades of pioneering research and hands-on experimentation in the northern-most prefecture.

Through years of testing and refinement, driven by ambitious vision and curiosity, we’ve transformed bold ideas into one of the most powerful and reliable hybrid propulsion systems. Born in the spirit of discovery and shaped by perseverance, Letara is now taking that technology beyond the lab and into the future of space exploration.

Our name, Letara, means “pure white snow” in the language of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido. We chose it to honor the region where our technology was born. The vast, remote winters of Hokkaido shaped not just our hardware, but our mindset—resilient, focused, and built to endure.

Today, we operate from advanced facilities with a growing international team. But we carry forward the same spirit of curiosity, perseverance, and ambition that started it all. That spirit will take us from Earth to orbit and far beyond.

Our Mission: Propelling the Next Space Era:

The future of humanity depends on moving through space faster, safer, and at far lower cost. Letara is here to make that possible.

We build high thrust, clean burning, and low cost hybrid propulsion systems for both rockets and spacecraft.

Our technology makes launch vehicles safer and more affordable, and enables in-space mobility for everything from CubeSats to large commercial missions. As the world builds massive satellite constellations, lunar stations, and prepares for life beyond Earth, propulsion remains the bottleneck. Today’s rocket engines are still dangerous and expensive. Spacecraft engines are often too slow, too toxic, or too costly to scale. Letara’s hybrid systems are the answer—a new standard in performance, safety, and scalability.

We are not just building engines. We are building the movement systems that will power the next economy—one that spans from Earth orbit to the Moon and eventually to Mars.