ispace announces HAKUTO-R Moon Mission 2 for Jan 2025 launch window
TOKYO – December 18, 2024 – ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, today released its SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon Mission 2 Milestones & Ventures, outlining its mission objectives and lunar surface exploration goals, as well as the opening of a six-day launch window mid-January, the company announced in a Keynote.
ispace Mission 2 will launch to the Moon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket along with the Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 which is set to launch during a six-day window that opens no earlier than mid-January 2025. The ispace RESILIENCE lunar lander will be the second to deploy during the mission. The RESILIENCE lander will take a low energy orbit as done during Mission 1, so transit will take several months ahead of a targeted landing 4 to 5 months after launch.
“Today, we are excited to announce that in approximately one month, ispace’s historic Mission 2 will be launching and we will make our second attempt to land on the Moon,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace. “Everyone from our employees, shareholders, and partner companies have been working on the development of the RESILIENCE lander and TENACIOUS, our lunar micro-rover, drawing motivation from each other to achieve results. As organizations, companies, and missions around the world are aiming for the Moon, ispace will continue to capitalize on our achievements during Mission 2, to lead the world in the development of the lunar economy. We hope you will join us. See you on the Moon!”
■ Mission 2 Milestones & Ventures
As done in advance of Mission 1, ispace today released a transparent set of criteria known as Mission 2 Milestones between launch and landing and aims to achieve the success criteria established for each of these milestones. Like Mission 1, the results from this mission as part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, will be weighed and evaluated against the criteria and lessons learned will be incorporated into future missions already in development.
The Mission 2 Milestones include 10 milestones. As part of the mission, the RESILIENCE lander will utilize a low energy flight taking several months to transfer to the Moon before injecting into lunar orbit and then attempting a soft landing on the surface. Its trajectory will take it approximately 1 million kilometers from the Earth at its farther point. Approximately one month into the journey, RESILIENCE will attempt a lunar flyby (Success 5).
In addition to the Mission 2 Milestones, ispace released Mission 2 Ventures, a set of criteria to measure effectiveness of lunar exploration operations on the surface of the Moon after landing. The Ventures include objectives for TENACIOUS, the first lunar micro rover to be launched to the Moon, designed, manufactured, and assembled in Europe with co-funding from the Luxembourg Space Agency through a European Space Agency contract with the Luxembourg National Space Programme, LuxIMPULSE.
■ Mission 2 Lunar Insurance
In addition to mission updates, ispace also announced that it has obtained Lunar Insurance from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited (MS) to cover risks associated with Mission 2. The insurance policy was developed jointly with MSI to ensure the sustainable and stable realization of future missions.
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 is led by ispace Japan. 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.
ispace Mission 2 will launch to the Moon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket along with the Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 which is set to launch during a six-day window that opens no earlier than mid-January 2025. The ispace RESILIENCE lunar lander will be the second to deploy during the mission. The RESILIENCE lander will take a low energy orbit as done during Mission 1, so transit will take several months ahead of a targeted landing 4 to 5 months after launch.
“Today, we are excited to announce that in approximately one month, ispace’s historic Mission 2 will be launching and we will make our second attempt to land on the Moon,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace. “Everyone from our employees, shareholders, and partner companies have been working on the development of the RESILIENCE lander and TENACIOUS, our lunar micro-rover, drawing motivation from each other to achieve results. As organizations, companies, and missions around the world are aiming for the Moon, ispace will continue to capitalize on our achievements during Mission 2, to lead the world in the development of the lunar economy. We hope you will join us. See you on the Moon!”
■ Mission 2 Milestones & Ventures
As done in advance of Mission 1, ispace today released a transparent set of criteria known as Mission 2 Milestones between launch and landing and aims to achieve the success criteria established for each of these milestones. Like Mission 1, the results from this mission as part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, will be weighed and evaluated against the criteria and lessons learned will be incorporated into future missions already in development.
The Mission 2 Milestones include 10 milestones. As part of the mission, the RESILIENCE lander will utilize a low energy flight taking several months to transfer to the Moon before injecting into lunar orbit and then attempting a soft landing on the surface. Its trajectory will take it approximately 1 million kilometers from the Earth at its farther point. Approximately one month into the journey, RESILIENCE will attempt a lunar flyby (Success 5).
In addition to the Mission 2 Milestones, ispace released Mission 2 Ventures, a set of criteria to measure effectiveness of lunar exploration operations on the surface of the Moon after landing. The Ventures include objectives for TENACIOUS, the first lunar micro rover to be launched to the Moon, designed, manufactured, and assembled in Europe with co-funding from the Luxembourg Space Agency through a European Space Agency contract with the Luxembourg National Space Programme, LuxIMPULSE.
■ Mission 2 Lunar Insurance
In addition to mission updates, ispace also announced that it has obtained Lunar Insurance from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited (MS) to cover risks associated with Mission 2. The insurance policy was developed jointly with MSI to ensure the sustainable and stable realization of future missions.
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 is led by ispace Japan. 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.
ispace Mission 2 Milestones
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