TOKYO–March 26, 2025–ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, announced today that it has secured approximately $10 Million USD (¥1.4 Billion JPY) in new financing as part of a loan agreement with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank.
The funds will be allocated as working capital for continued development and operation of the company’s landers and rovers as part of its lunar payload delivery service. The increased working capital bring further stability to the company’s financial foundation as well as accelerate iterative technological improvements and capture of the expected market expansion.
“We are honored by the confidence that Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank has seen in ispace through the financing agreement,” said Jumpei Nozaki, CFO & Executive Business Director of ispace. “These funds, repaid on a long-term plan, will give us enhanced flexibility to develop technological advances and increase market capture as lunar delivery and infrastructure development on the Moon increases.”
Currently, ispace is actively operating the SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon Mission 2 and has achieved 5 of the 10 mission milestones. Most recently, the RESILIENCE lunar lander successfully completed a flyby of the Moon on Feb. 15, 2025, reaching its closest point to the lunar surface at 22:43 UTC, Feb. 14, 2025. It has navigated to a point 1.1 million km from Earth. RESILIENCE is currently scheduled to land on the Moon on June 6, 2025 (JST).
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, featuring the RESILIENCE lunar lander and led by ispace Japan, launched on Jan. 15, 2025, completed a lunar flyby on Feb. 15, 2025, and is currently traveling to the Moon. During the mission, the TENACIOUS micro rover will be deployed on the lunar surface to conduct a technological demonstration of regolith extraction as well as mobility on the lunar surface. Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by ispace-U.S. and is expected to launch in 2026. The company’s fourth mission, which will utilize the Series 3 lander, currently being designed in Japan, is scheduled to be launched by 2027.
About ispace
ispace, a global lunar exploration company with the vision, “Expand our planet. Expand our future.”, specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States with approximately 300 employees worldwide.
For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.