15 Oct, 2024
TOKYO – October 15, 2024 –ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, and Unmanned Exploration Laboratory (UEL), a space robotics and exploration company in Korea, have reached an agreement for collaboration on a future lunar rover mission, the two companies announced today, at the IAF’s International Astronautical Congress 2024, held in Milan, Italy.
The memorandum of understanding signed by both companies envisions a future lunar mission to deliver a lunar rover to the lunar surface as a technology demonstration of UEL’s space robotics. Once a mission plan is agreed upon, the UEL rover is planned to be manifested on a future mission.
Photo of Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace, (l) and Jaeho Lee, VP of UEL, taken in front of a replica at the APEX 1.0 lunar lander at IAC2024 in Milan, Italy.
“This agreement is another example of ispace working together with global space exploration companies to test their technology on the moon’s surface. ispace is supporting pioneers around the world by providing lunar transportation services to realize technology demonstrations in short timeframes,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace.
“This partnership represents a significant milestone not just for UEL, but for the entire Korean and Japanese space industries. By working together with ispace, we are combining our strengths to advance lunar exploration and showcase the capabilities of our lunar rover technology, said Namsuk Cho, Founder & CEO of UEL. “We hope that this collaboration will inspire greater exchanges between the space industries of both countries and reignite the passion for lunar exploration among people around the world.”
An image of replicas of UEL rovers at the Korean Pavilion during IAC2024 in Milan, Italy.
ispace is leveraging its global presence through its three business units in Japan, the U.S., and Luxembourg, for the simultaneous development of upcoming missions. Mission 2 is led by the ispace Japan entity. Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by the ispace U.S. entity and is expected to launch in 2026. Mission 6, which will utilize the Series 3 lander, currently being designed in Japan, is scheduled to be launched by 2027.
To meet a growing demand from government, commercial, and educational organizations from around the globe, and in particular the Indo-Pacific region, ispace is negotiating with customers to provide payload service contracts and data services for ispace’s Mission 3 and beyond.
About UEL
UEL is the only company in Korea specializing in space robotics, with a focus on developing lunar exploration rovers capable of operating and constructing on the Moon. Leveraging our in-house production of artificial lunar regolith (KOHLS-1), we actively adapt to the challenges of the lunar environment. As a key partner of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), UEL is committed to contributing to Korea’s growing space industry, particularly in becoming a leader in the field of space robotics. Established in 2018, planted in Daejeon (Headquarters), Ansan (Experimental facility) Seoul (Research Center), Korea. For more information, visit: www.uel.co.kr
About ispace
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 approximately 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.