27 Nov, 2024
HAKUTO-R x SMBC Venture Moon Mission targeting Launch No Earlier Than January 2025
TOKYO –November 27, 2024 – ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, announced today that its Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander carrying the TENACIOUS micro rover and commercial payloads for lunar exploration has safely arrived in Florida and will begin final preparations in advance of a launch scheduled for no earlier than January 2025.
Photo: ispace engineers load the Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander into a transport container in preparation for shipping to Florida.
The RESILIENCE lunar lander was shipped from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) facility in Tsukuba, Japan, where it had undergone testing, via commercial cargo plane to Florida, where it will now await its upcoming launch.
The Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander is loaded onto a vehicle for shipping from Tsukuba to Narita Airport, Japan before being shipped by cargo plane to Florida.
“The Mission 2 RESILIENCE lander is the culmination of the HAKUTO-R program, incorporating the data and know-how gained from Mission 1,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace. “We are pleased that the transport to the launch site in Florida, has been completed successfully. The lander is carrying not only the payload entrusted to us by our customers, but also the excitement of many stakeholders. We will continue to make final preparations until the day of the launch, when the lander, which carries so many hopes, will be launched.”
ispace’s Mission 2 is named “Venture Moon” by HAKUTO-R official partner, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). The word “venture” is emblematic of new beginnings and opportunity. With the support of SMBC, ispace, which aims to develop the new cislunar economy connecting the Earth and the Moon and expanding human existence into space.
The Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander arrives and is offloaded from a vehicle in Florida.
ispace is leveraging its global presence through its three business units in Japan, the U.S., and Luxembourg, for the simultaneous development of upcoming missions. Mission 2, featuring the RESILIENCE lunar lander and TENACIOUS micro rover, is led by ispace Japan and is now scheduled for launch no earlier than January 2025. Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by ispace-U.S. and is expected to launch in 2026. Mission 6, which will utilize the Series 3 lander, currently being designed in Japan, is scheduled to be launched by 2027.
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 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.