Japanese space startup ispace will launch its domestically built Ultra lunar lander on the H3 rocket to attempt a moon landing [1].
The mission represents a strategic shift for the company as it seeks to prove that Japan's private sector can achieve a lunar landing using wholly domestic technology [1]. By utilizing the H3 rocket, developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, ispace aims to establish a fully sovereign pipeline for lunar exploration [1].
CEO Takehito Hakama announced the plan on Wednesday and said the goal is to advance a new era of Japanese space activity [1]. The company has previously relied on international partnerships for its lunar ambitions. According to ispace, the company has conducted two previous launches using SpaceX rockets [1].
While those two SpaceX launches were successful, the subsequent lunar landing attempts failed [1]. One such mission was launched by SpaceX on Jan. 15, 2025 [3]. The transition to the H3 rocket for the 2028 mission [1] marks a departure from these earlier dependencies on U.S. launch providers.
"It is a promise that Japan's private space industry will carve out its own path to the moon," Hakama said. "From Japan to the moon. I want to create a new space era together with everyone," he said [1].
The Ultra lander is designed to operate within the constraints of the H3 rocket's payload capacity. By integrating the domestic lander with the domestic rocket, ispace intends to demonstrate a complete end-to-end capability for lunar transport [1].
“Japan's private space industry will carve out its own path to the moon”
This move signifies Japan's ambition to reduce reliance on American aerospace infrastructure, specifically SpaceX, for deep-space missions. By pairing the H3 rocket with the Ultra lander, Japan is attempting to build a vertically integrated commercial lunar economy, moving from being a participant in international missions to a primary provider of domestic lunar transport.
