Japan has announced a generous subsidy of 12 billion yen ($80 million) for ispace, a Tokyo-based startup that aims to explore the moon with its lander and rover. The funding will support the company’s second attempt to land on the lunar surface after its first mission failed in April this year.
ispace’s ambitious lunar program
ispace is one of the leading private companies in the field of lunar exploration. It was founded in 2010 by Takeshi Hakamada, a former engineer at JAXA, Japan’s space agency. The company’s vision is to create a sustainable lunar economy by providing transportation and data services to the moon.
ispace’s lunar program, called HAKUTO-R, consists of two missions: Mission 1, which will orbit the moon and deploy a lander; and Mission 2, which will land on the moon and deploy a rover. The company plans to launch both missions using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets.
The company’s first mission, which was scheduled to launch in 2023, ended in failure when the lander crashed during its descent to the moon. The cause of the crash was attributed to a software glitch that affected the lander’s attitude control system. Despite the setback, ispace vowed to continue its lunar exploration efforts and announced its second mission, which is expected to launch in 2024.
Japan’s support for moon exploration
Japan has been a strong supporter of ispace and its lunar exploration goals. In 2017, JAXA signed a partnership agreement with ispace to collaborate on lunar missions and share data and technology. JAXA also selected ispace as one of the potential providers of lunar transportation services under its Lunar Surface Exploration Program (LSEP).
On Friday, Japan’s industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura announced that the government will provide a 12 billion yen ($80 million) subsidy for ispace’s second mission. The subsidy will cover about half of the mission’s total cost, which is estimated at 25 billion yen ($167 million). Nishimura said that the subsidy is part of Japan’s strategy to promote innovation and competitiveness in the space sector.
The subsidy will also help ispace secure more customers and partners for its lunar services. The company has already signed contracts with several entities, including Canada’s NGC Aerospace, UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), and Japan’s Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance. ispace also hopes to attract more investors and sponsors for its future missions.
The significance of moon exploration
The moon is considered as a strategic destination for scientific and commercial exploration. The moon offers valuable resources, such as water ice and minerals, that can be used for fuel, materials, and life support. The moon also serves as a testing ground for technologies and systems that can enable human exploration of Mars and beyond.
Several countries and companies have expressed their interest and plans to explore the moon in the coming years. NASA’s Artemis program aims to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024 and establish a sustainable presence by 2028. China has successfully landed three rovers on the moon since 2013 and plans to launch a sample return mission later this year. India, Russia, Europe, and Israel are also developing their own lunar missions.
ispace is one of the few private companies that are pursuing lunar exploration with their own landers and rovers. Other notable players include Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. These companies are competing for contracts and prizes from government agencies and private organizations that want to send payloads and experiments to the moon.
ispace’s second mission will be a crucial milestone for the company and for Japan’s space ambitions. If successful, it will demonstrate Japan’s technological capabilities and leadership in the field of lunar exploration. It will also pave the way for more opportunities and collaborations for ispace and other private companies that want to explore and utilize the moon.
