Japanese Lander Books Ride on Domestic Rocket for First Time
ispace Signs Contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to Launch Its Third Moon Mission In 2028
A Japanese-built lunar lander will fly to the moon aboard a Japanese-built rocket for the first time under a contract signed this week between ispace, inc. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
“The success of Mission 3 is a crucial milestone in ispace’s early commercialization phase.”
Takeshi Hakamada, ispace
The companies announced last week that they have signed a launch and transportation services agreement covering ispace’s Mission 3 ULTRA lander, which will fly on MHI’s H3 rocket. The launch is currently scheduled for 2028, according to the companies.
ispace’s two prior lunar missions each launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Mission 3 will mark the first pairing of a Japanese-made lander with a Japanese-made launch vehicle.
The ULTRA lander is under development with funding from a Small Business Innovation Research grant issued by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, according to the news release. The companies said ispace intends to use the lander to establish a high-frequency, low-cost transportation service to the lunar surface.
MHI’s H3 rocket is a heavy-lift vehicle designed to replace the company’s H-IIA and H-IIB launchers. Beyond the launch contract, the companies said they have agreed to explore further cooperation on lunar infrastructure and related technology.
Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of ispace, said the contract builds on Japan’s rocket heritage. “The success of Mission 3 is a crucial milestone in ispace’s early commercialization phase, and I am confident that utilizing the H3 rocket will enable us to establish a reliable lunar transportation system,” he said.
Iwao Igarashi, vice president and senior general manager of MHI’s Space Systems Division, said the company would draw on its launch history to support the mission. “By leveraging the rocket technology and operational track record that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has cultivated, we will contribute to the mission’s success by safely and reliably delivering the lander into space,” he said.
Mission 3 is scheduled to launch in 2028.