What is HAKUTO-R?

HAKUTO-R is a multinational commercial lunar exploration program operated by ispace. It includes ispace’s first two lunar missions: Mission 1, a soft lunar landing in 2022, and Mission 2, a lunar landing and deployment of a rover in 2024. For both missions, the HAKUTO-R lander will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Mission 1: 2022

Lunar Landing

The first mission will perform a soft landing on the Moon. This will be the first privately-led Japanese mission to land on the lunar surface.

Mission 2: 2024

Lunar Surface Exploration

The second mission will perform a soft landing and deploy a rover for surface exploration and data collection on the Moon.

The Story
of HAKUTO-R

“HAKUTO” means “white rabbit” in Japanese. In legendary folklore in Japan, it is said that a white rabbit lives on the Moon. This was the inspiration for the name HAKUTO, one of the 5 finalists in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition—a race for the first private lunar exploration mission.

Our Partners

The companies who support HAKUTO-R and share our vision.

Japan Airlines (JAL)

Japan Airlines (JAL) was founded in 1951 and became the first international airline in Japan. A member of the oneworld alliance, the airline now reaches 349 airports in 52 countries and regions together with its codeshare partners with a modern fleet of more than 230 aircraft. Following its corporate slogan, FLY INTO TOMORROW, JAL aspires to become the first choice for customers around the world. Every JAL employee constantly aims to achieve the highest goals and strives to maintain JAL’s competitive edge by introducing exciting new products and value. Through its support of HAKUTO-R, the world’s first commercial lunar exploration program, JAL is helping to open up the new lunar frontier and contribute to the expansion of human activity in space.

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd.

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. is one of the core operating companies within MS&AD Insurance Group which ranks among the top ten non-life insurance groups in the world and No.1 position in the domestic non-life insurance market by income. We have been pursuing our mission “to contribute to the development of a vibrant society and help secure a sound future for the planet, by enabling safety and peace of mind through the global insurance and financial services business”. We will continue to face various risks faced by our customers and support challengers who will open up the future. In the HAKUTO-R program, we will develop and provide insurance products against various emerging risks.

NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.

NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD., which began with the challenge of making Japan’s first spark plug, has been developing various business areas such as oxygen sensors, semiconductor packages, cutting tools, artificial bones and fuel cells, based on ceramics, a core technology. Following our corporate message “IGNITE YOUR SPIRIT”, fueled and motivated by our own drive, NGK SPARK PLUG will deliver cutting edge solutions as a leading manufacturer in the world. In the HAKUTO-R program, we develop a new all-solid-state battery for lunar exploration, transport the experiment module to the moon, and conduct a technology demonstration test of all-solid-state battery on the lunar surface for the first time in the world.

CITIZEN WATCH

CITIZEN WATCH is a true manufacture d’horlogerie with a comprehensive manufacturing process that extends from creating a watch’ s individual components to its final assembly. The company operates in more than 100 countries around the world. Since its founding in 1918, CITIZEN have held the belief of “Better Starts Now” – that is, no matter who you are and what you do, it is always possible to make something better, and now is the time to start doing it. Sharing this belief, we have made watches, invented and improved technologies and explored the future of watches such as our proprietary light-powered Eco-Drive technology, and satellite-synchronised timekeeping system Satellite Wave. Citizen will contribute its “Super Titanium™” technology to the HAKUTO-R program – towards the future of lunar exploration.

Suzuki

Suzuki is a brand of mobility including motorcycles, automobiles, and marine products. The Company has the motto of “Develop products of superior value by focusing on the customer” in the first paragraph of its mission statement, and is taking steps in line with daily lives of people throughout the world. We have been continuing to take on various challenges such as through providing small cars and entering into the Indian market, wishing to make people’s lives richer. We are committed to create new values with the aim of “easy, exciting and impressive” to continue contributing to richer lives and societies. As a member of the HAKUTO-R program, a team which takes on a challenge to a new frontier, the moon, we wish to support the development of lander to lead our specialized technologies of “small cars” to a “big future”.

Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd.

Since its foundation in 1923, Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd. has accumulated technologies, expertise, and achievements, focusing on air conditioning equipment, under the company creed: “Contribution to society through personal harmony and creativity.” TAKASAGO is committed to maintaining the highest standards in human comfort, product quality and environmental protection. Takasago Thermal Engineering’s has offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India and Mexico.

SMBC Group

The SMBC Group is a financial group providing a wide range of business solutions globally, including banking, securities, leasing, credit cards and consumer financing. Our group’s vision is to continuously refine our financial functions to meet the various challenges faced by our customers and society, in general. We thus wish to become a global solution provider that grows together with our customers and society through a relationship of trust. The SMBC Group is committed to providing high-quality solutions on a global basis, including in non-financial areas. We therefore take on new challenges every day in order to achieve sustainable growth as a group. Through our support of the HAKUTO-R program, we will contribute to the extension of humanity’s living sphere into space, as well as the realization of a sustainable future society.