HAKUTO-R Program
The HAKUTO-R program ended on December 7, 2025.
HAKUTO-R was a multinational commercial Lunar Exploration Program operated by ispace. It included ispace’s first two lunar missions: Mission 1, a planned soft lunar landing in 2023, and Mission 2, a planned lunar landing and surface exploration in 2025. Corporate Partners, Supporting Companies and Media Partners participated in HAKUTO-R, exploring new ways for established industries to utilize access to space and the Moon to develop new businesses, verify technologies and gather valuable data and experience.
Mission 1 was planned to perform a soft landing on the Moon. It was the first fully commercial mission to launch towards the Moon.
Mission 2 was planned to perform a soft landing and deploy a rover for surface exploration and data collection on the Moon.
The Story of HAKUTO-R
“HAKUTO” means “white rabbit” in Japanese. In legendary folklore in Japan, it is said that a white rabbit lives on the Moon. This was the inspiration for the name HAKUTO, one of the 5 finalists in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition, a race for the first private lunar exploration mission.
Launch of the word’s first privately-funded commercial lunar lander Learn more about Mission 1
The RESILIENCE Lander & TENACIOUS Rover Learn more about Mission 2