Certification for Outstanding Space Engineering Capabilities
Ryota Adachi Certified as the First “Black Belt Engineering Master”
TOKYO—August 6, 2026—ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, announced it has launched the “Engineering Master Program” as a new internal certification program to recognize engineers with outstanding space engineering capabilities and expertise.
This program recognizes the pursuit of mastery in specialized technical skills as a space engineer as a value. It aims to enhance the company’s internal environment so that engineers can pursue the ultimate level of expertise as a career path, thereby increasing intrinsic corporate value as an engineering firm.
Following a review by the company’s management, Mr. Ryota Adachi has been certified as the first recipient of the “Black Belt Engineering Master” (Japanese name: Kuroobi Engineering Master). Mr. Ryota Adachi currently serves as Manager of the Global Structure Design Group within the Global Design Office.
Since joining the company in 2019, Mr. Ryota Adachi has been consistently involved in the design of our RESILIENCE lander and is leading the mechanical design of the ULTRA lander, currently in development. He has made significant contributions to building the technological foundation for lunar landing missions. In receiving this recognition, he was commended for creatively solving advanced challenges—such as accelerating the design maturation process and developing an in-house landing impact analysis capability, which is key to lunar landing precision, throughout the evolution of our landers from RESILIENCE to ULTRA.
Ryota Adachi
安達 良太
Global Design Office
Manager, Global Structure Design Group
Background
2007: Worked at a Japanese company, primarily responsible for the design of industrial vehicles
2014: Spent four years at the company’s U.S. office and factory as a design lead, working on quality improvements and manufacturing cost optimization for models intended for the U.S. market
2019: Joined ispace. Assigned to the Structural Design Team, where he primarily worked on the structural design of the Mission 2 lander’s main structure
2023: Appointed Manager of the Structural Design Team. Currently developing the main structure and landing legs for the lander for Mission 3 and beyond
The success of lunar missions requires advanced technologies that functions stably under the harsh, unique conditions of the lunar surface as well as engineering capabilities to creatively solve unprecedented challenges without being constrained by existing conventions or norms. The background behind ispace’s design of the “Engineering Master Program” is rooted in ispace’s management philosophy that “outstanding technical expertise is valued equally with the leadership required to guide an organization.”
Under the program, levels are established based on technical expertise and its impact both internally and externally to evaluate an engineer’s achievements. In addition to being awarded ispace’s official “Master” title, certified individuals will receive a stipend to support the further development of their expertise, as well as opportunities to share their knowledge. The “Black Belt Engineering Master” designation indicates a level at which an individual possesses advanced theoretical knowledge and highly specialized technical skills in a specific field, is capable of independently solving highly challenging R&D and technical problems, and can consistently and reliably produce results.
Statement of Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace, inc.
“The challenge of lunar development, a new frontier for humanity, cannot be realized without exceptional engineers. ispace’s new Engineering Master Program is designed to demonstrate to engineers that mastering technology is just as important as business and organizational management. We will continue to build the cislunar economy by creating an environment where talented engineers from around the world can gather and continue to take on new challenges together,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace.
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About ispace, inc. (https://ispace-inc.com)
ispace, a global lunar resource development 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 more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.