ispace

ispace is a Japanese lunar exploration company developing commercial lunar landers and transportation services. The company's Hakuto-R Mission 2, named Resilience, launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 on January 15, 2025, successfully reaching lunar orbit on May 6, 2025. On June 5, 2025, the lander attempted to touch down at the lunar south pole but experienced a hard landing after its Laser Range Finder encountered delays obtaining valid measurements. The technical analysis confirmed the lander likely impacted the lunar surface. Mission 2 carried TENACIOUS, the first European-built lunar rover (5 kg) designed and manufactured in Luxembourg with co-funding from the Luxembourg National Space Programme. Despite the setback, ispace continues advancing with Mission 3, led by ispace-U.S. and featuring the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, expected to launch in 2026. Mission 4, utilizing the Series 3 lander being designed in Japan, is scheduled for 2027 launch. The company continues working toward establishing lunar transportation infrastructure.