ispace Inc

ispace Inc. is a publicly traded Japanese company building robotic spacecraft and related technology to compete for lunar transportation and exploration contracts from space agencies and private industry. Its stated goal is to help clients discover, map, and use natural lunar resources, positioning itself as a key player in the emerging cislunar economy.

Founded by CEO Takeshi Hakamada, ispace grew out of the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP) era. From 2013 to 2018, the company owned and operated Team Hakuto, which developed a lunar rover named Sorato. Though the GLXP ended without a winner, ispace carried forward its engineering and ambitions into the Hakuto-R program, backed by Japanese investment and partnered with American firm Draper Laboratory. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with offices in the United States and Luxembourg.

The Hakuto-R program aims to provide reliable lunar delivery and exploration services. Mission 1 launched in December 2022 carrying the Rashid rover for the United Arab Emirates, but it crashed during an April 2023 landing attempt. Mission 2 followed in January 2025 with the RESILIENCE lander and a UNESCO memory disk, yet it too lost communication during its June 2025 landing, suggesting a hard impact. Despite these setbacks, ispace is pressing forward with Mission 3, planned for 2028, which will focus on establishing frequent, cost-effective lunar transport and developing lunar water resources. The company's persistence underscores the high-risk, high-reward nature of commercial space exploration. [edit]