12 Nov, 2024
TOKYO – November 12, 2024 –ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, announced today Kurita Water Industries Ltd., a Japanese water treatment facility and chemical manufacturer, has joined the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program as a Corporate Partner.
Kurita Water Industries joined the HAKUTO-R program as a supporting company in 2023, and through its promotion to corporate partner, the two companies will build a stronger partnership and collaborate on future missions to equip lunar landers with water processing systems for use in space.
“We are very pleased that Kurita Water Industries has agreed to become a corporate partner,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace. “We would like to express our gratitude for their support to date, and we hope that the water treatment technology that Kurita Water Industries has cultivated will be the first step towards the efficient recycling of lunar resources, and that it will lead to the realization of economically and sustainably viable space activities.”
“We have been working with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to develop a water recycling system for the International Space Station (ISS), and as a non-space-related private company, we have become the first in Japan to achieve in-orbit verification,” said Hirohiko Ejiri, President and Representative Executive Officer of Kurita Water Industries Ltd. “We have decided to participate as a corporate partner in the HAKUTO-R program in order to further accelerate the development of water treatment systems with an eye to the future lunar economy, utilizing this experience and knowledge. We will work on the development of new water-related technologies and aim to become a leading company in the space industry.”
For Mission 2, Kurita Water Industries provided ultrapure water, based on its water treatment technology, that will be delivered to the Moon as part of Takasago Thermal Engineering Corporation’s payload. The water installed into Takasago’s water electrolyzer equipment will serve to prove the water-splitting on the Moon. In the future, Kurita Water Industries expects to collaborate with ispace to carry its own payload on a future mission focused on its water treatment equipment.
ispace’s vision “Expand the planet. Expand the future.” is to develop the cislunar economy, a broad concept that includes creating new markets, technologies, and infrastructure that support the realization of a sustainable society. As a lunar transportation service provider, ispace intends to expand its service of high-frequency, low-cost missions to lunar orbit and the lunar surface. Together the two companies expect to increase participation in the market and collaboratively support each other’s goals.
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 ispace Japan and is now scheduled for launch no earlier than January 2025. Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by ispace-U.S. 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.
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 more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.
HAKUTO-R (https://ispace-inc.com/hakuto-r/)
HAKUTO-R is a lunar exploration program operated consisting of ispace’s first two lunar missions: Mission 1, completed in 2023, and Mission 2, a lunar landing and deployment of a rover planned to launch no earlier than January 2025.
HAKUTO-R’s official partners include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and its corporate partners include Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Ltd., NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd., Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation, Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd., SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., Sky Corporation, Epiroc AB, JINS Inc. and Kurita Water Industries Ltd.