ispace Mission 3
Mission Outline
Mission 3 will be the first mission to feature ispace’s new ULTRA lunar lander, a larger and more capable lander design. The development of the lander for this mission is funded through a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI).
ULTRA Lander
Size:
Height approx. 3.6m
Width approx. 3.3m
(Landing legs extended)
Weight:
Approx. 1,000kg（Dry）
Payload Capacity:
Max. several hundreds kg
Summary:
Development of the ULTRA lander is currently under way. It will first be used for Mission 3, currently planned to launch in 2028. The ULTRA lander for Mission 3 is being funded by a Small Business Innovation Research grant administered by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The same ULTRA lander design will further be used in the following Missions 4 (planned for 2029) and Mission 5 (planned for 2030).
The ULTRA lander design enables a multitude of mission profiles, including lunar orbital payloads, surface delivery and landing in difficult terrain.
It is the largest allocation under the government’s SBIR grant to date. The mission is currently scheduled for 2028, with the first payload being supported by the initial phase of Japan’s Space Strategy Fund.
PAYLOAD CUSTOMERS
Mission 3
Payload Customers
Science Tokyo (JAXA SSF)
Payload: TSUKIMI (Science Satellite)
TASA (Taiwan)
Payload: LVM (Magnetometer), FLUTE (Multi-spectral Camera)
ispace internal
Payload: DRMU (Deployable MLI for Night Survival)
ispace EU
Payload: M3P Rover
UEL (Korea)
Payload: SCARAB (2-Wheel Rover)
JALUX
Payload: Cargo
Magna Petra Corp.
Payload: MSOLO mass spectrometer, Rover payload
The structural thermal model of the ULTRA Lander for Mission 3 underwent a series of environmental tests, including vibration, acoustic and thermal vacuum testing.
Learn more about ispace
and our lunar quest.
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We view the Moon as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to expand human existence into space and we believe the Moon is a stepping-stone to Mars and deeper space exploration. It is our first step to establishing human existence beyond the confines of Earth.
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We are a global company with entities in Japan, the United States and Luxembourg, ready to serve customers in each market.
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ispace is a lunar transportation company with a vision to expand human presence beyond the Earth. We are building lunar landers to transport customer payloads to lunar orbit and the surface. In addition, we design lunar rovers to explore the Moon. Our goal is to deliver and develop the infrastructure necessary to support human life on the Moon.
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Yes, ispace is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Growth Market. In October 2024, ispace was selected for the TSE Growth Market Core Index.