26 May, 2026
JALUX and ispace Sign 2028 Payload Service Agreement to Deliver Cultural Artifacts
TOKYO—May 26, 2026—ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, and JALUX Inc. (JALUX), the trading company of Japan Airlines (JAL), today announced that the two companies have signed a payload service agreement (PSA) for ispace’s next lunar landing mission, Mission 3, currently scheduled for 2028.
Under the agreement, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (JAL) and JALUX, will begin selling payload transport capacity to private companies and local governments on May 27, 2026, for delivery to the lunar surface.
A concept image of the Möbius Ark, lunar transportation container. ispace’s ULTRA lunar lander scheduled for Mission 3.
In November 2025, ispace and three JAL Group companies (JAL, JALUX, and JAL Engineering) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore collaboration in the fields of lunar transportation and operations. Today’s PSA marks the first step in the concrete implementation of that collaboration. Utilizing the payload transport capacity, the JAL Group is launching the “ARGO PROJECT,” an initiative to pass on Earth’s culture on the Moon for future generations, utilizing ispace lunar landers.
The ARGO Project
Officially named “The ARGO Trans-Lunar Heritage Project,” and embodying the concept of “The Ark Relaying for Generations Onward,” this project is inspired by the constellation Argo Navis, which represents a great sailing ship. It aims to pass on precious cultural heritage and human activities to future generations.
In the rapidly changing world, there is a constant risk that precious cultural artifacts and ways of life could be suddenly lost. The lunar environment offers a location to protect and preserve these valuable cultural assets until the day they are opened by future generations.
JAL and JALUX serve as the project’s two main organizers. JALUX will be responsible for the dedicated lunar transport container, “Möbius Ark,” including soliciting items for inclusion and developing the dedicated container. The transportation container design measures approximately 20 cm × 20 cm × 10 cm, features internal compartments, and uses materials capable of withstanding the lunar environment to protect the contents.
JAL will collaborate with local governments and companies throughout Japan to collect items that reflect modern culture, such as regional specialties and products representative of local businesses. ispace will serve as the transporter of the specialized container carrying the cultural artifacts to the Moon’s surface.
This marks the JAL Group’s first venture of this kind, and the Möbius Ark container will be photographed once it reaches the lunar surface.
For business inquiries, please contact JALUX Inc., Space Business Team at sbiz@jalux.com.
Building on more than 70 years of history in air transportation, the JAL Group is supporting the development of a new transportation network to the Moon. Together with partner companies and local governments, the goal is a society where space transportation becomes more accessible through missions like this to pass on culture to future generations.
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About JALUX Inc. (https://www.jalux.com/en/profile/)
JALUX is a trading company within the JAL Group that operates a wide range of businesses, including aviation and airports, lifestyle services, retail, and food.
In addition to strengths in the aviation and airport sectors—such as the aircraft parts business and overseas airport operations—JALUX is actively engaged in a wide range of businesses closely tied to people’s daily lives. Driven by a spirit of innovation, JALUX is also expanding into next-generation frontiers, including the rapidly growing space industry, continuously creating new value for a changing world.
About ispace, inc. (https://ispace-inc.com)
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.