ispace began as an idea.

2010

White Label Space Japan

White Label Space Japan, the predecessor to ispace, is founded by Takeshi Hakamada to participate in the Google Lunar XPRIZE.

2013

Engineering model completed

White Label Space Japan, the predecessor to ispace, was founded, and entered the Google Lunar XPRIZE. The focus of the team in Japan was to develop a micro rover to undertake surface exploration on the lunar surface. Their efforts led to the Sorato micro rover development.

White Label Space changes its name to ispace and manages the HAKUTO Team based in Japan as they continue to participate in the XPRIZE challenge.

2015

Google Lunar XPRIZE

During the Lunar XPrize competition, the team won a Mobility Milestone Prize in January 2015, with plans to launch the Sorato micro rover to the Moon on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. At this time, the HAKUTO partnership model was initiated and engineering models 2 and 3 were succesfully completed.

2016

Funding Secured

Began development of a lunar lander in preparation for full-scale entry into the lunar development business. With intense fundraising efforts, the team raised ¥200 million JPY from significant investors including Incubate Fund and Hinoki Co.Ltd. A revised mission plan and new launch provider were developed and secured.

2017

Lunar Mission Advances

The Sorato flight model after assembly and testing was completed and shipped where it was prepared for launch. Fundraising efforts continued with a Series A that raised ¥10 billion JPY, setting a record in Japan for largest Series A at that time.

2018

Google Lunar XPrize Ends

While the HAKUTO team completed the development of a flight model of the SORATO rover and shipped it to be launched, the XPRIZE was terminated without a winner. The team was disappointed but vowed to continue their efforts. ispace announces the launch of the HAKUTO-R program, a technology demonstration mission for lunar exploration, and a joint launch in Falcon 9 rocket of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. ( “SpaceX” )

2018

Selected by NASA for the Commercial Lunar Payload Service

ispace has been selected by NASA for the Commercial Lunar Payload Service, the agency’s commercial purchasing program for lunar transportation services, as a team of The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

2019

Flight Model Donated to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

To commemorate the ground-breaking achievement, the SORATO rover was donated to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It went on display at an exhibit on New Space in 2025.

2020

ispace Secures NASA Lunar Regolith Contract and Raises ¥500M in Series B Extension

NASA announced that it has awarded contracts to both ispace and the company’s subsidiary, ispace Europe S.A., to acquire regolith from the lunar surface to be purchased by the space agency.
ispace Raises 500 million JPY (total 3.5 billion JPY) in Series B Funding Extension Round

2022

HAKUTO-R Mission 1 launched

Following the end of the XPRIZE, ispace expands its efforts from rover design and development to include lunar lander development. The efforts culminate in 2022 with the launch of HAKUTO-R Mission 1. Mission 1 launched on Dec. 11, 2022, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, becoming the first privately-funded, commercial mission to launch to the Moon.

2023

ispace Debuts on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market

ispace listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market.

2024

SMBC becomes official partner

SMBC become the offical partner of HAKUTO-R Mission 2.

2025

“SMBC x HAKUTO-R VENTURE MOON” Mission 2

The second mission was planned to perform and deploy a rover for surface exploration and data collection on the Moon.

2026

ispace launches Lunar Connect business

Lunar Connect will offer communication and positioning services, leveraging ispace’s cislunar assets to be launched and operated over the coming years, starting with Mission 2.5 in 2027.

2026

ispace announces ULTRA lander

The ULTRA lander design will be used by ispace and ispace-U.S. to provide lunar orbit- and surface-delivery services to a variety of customers. ULTRA benefits from the development and know-how accumulated by ispace during its previous two missions.