5 Mar, 2024
TOKYO – March 5, 2024 – ispace, inc. (ispace) released a statement by Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada regarding the UK Space Agency (UKSA) funding plan, which supports several international exploration projects, including one involving ispace, with the aim of strengthening the UK’s role in international exploration of the Moon, Mars, and Venus.
As part of the plan, the UKSA announced funding for the University of Leicester and ispace to develop a Lunar Spectrometer for future exploration missions to investigate water ice on the Moon. ispace EUROPE S.A., the Luxembourg-based subsidiary of ispace, has entered negotiations with the University of Leicester for a payload transportation services. Further details of the agreements will be announced once they are finalized.
For more information, please see the UKSA announcement: New funding supports UK role in global exploration to the Moon, Mars and Venus.
Statement by Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace:
“ispace was founded on the vision, ‘Expand our planet. Expand our future.’ and since then we have been working with likeminded companies, organizations, and partners to develop the cislunar economy. Our vision is global in nature, and we are building bridges across continents leveraging ispace business entities around the world to increase diverse participation in this growing economy.
“I was particularly pleased to learn of the UK Space Agency announcement on funding for several space technology and exploration projects aimed at reinforcing the UK’s role in lunar exploration. I believe the funding reflects the agency’s recognition of the potential for and the importance of future in-situ resource utilization on the Moon by utilizing ispace platforms for critical lunar infrastructure.
“I am also pleased that we will be working with the University of Leicester to transport UK technologies to the moon on future lunar missions. This future collaboration exemplifies the global nature of the cislunar economy, the importance of academic institutions contributing to the vision, and the potential for great achievements.
“As lunar exploration continues to gain attention, ispace through our business entities around the world, is pleased to collaborate with global organizations to advance scientific understanding through transportation to lunar orbit and the lunar surface. We applaud the UKSA’s efforts and its meaningful support in this endeavor and we will continue to stive to develop the cislunar economy.”
About ispace, inc. (https://ispace-inc.com)
ispace, a global lunar resource development company with the vision, “Expand our planet. Expand our future.”, specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States with more than 250 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.