Newest Japanese Space Company Plans Moon Communications System to Support Future Lunar Missions

Japan’s ispace recently announced its plans for a satellite communications system around the Moon at the 2024 Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium. This announcement came just after the company secured a $45 million loan to fund three upcoming lander missions on its manifest. Ispace’s US subsidiary is collaborating with American firm Draper in a consortium that won a $73 million NASA CLPS contract to land scientific payloads on the far side of the Moon in 2026. As part of this mission, ispace will place two microsatellites built by Blue Canyon Technologies into lunar orbit to provide continuous contact between the lander and controllers on Earth.

Ispace hopes to offer connectivity as a service to future lunar missions once the CLPS mission is complete. Other companies, such as Lockheed Martin subsidiary Crescent and Intuitive Machines, are also planning to build orbiting communications networks around the Moon. Ispace is set to launch its second lander to the Moon in the fourth quarter of this year, equipped with a micro-rover to collect regolith samples for the European Space Agency. Their first attempt to reach the Moon a year ago was unsuccessful due to faulty software.

In terms of Japan’s involvement in lunar missions, NASA has an agreement with the Japanese government to send JAXA astronauts to the Moon in exchange for a pressurized lunar rover. NASA will procure the rocket to transport Japan’s rover to the Moon in 2031 and provide most of its life support systems. Crews on lunar missions will operate under a single mission commander, similar to operations on the ISS. Recently, ispace secured a $45 million loan, following a $53.5 million equity raise. CEO Takeshi Hakamada emphasized the importance of diverse funding sources, including contract revenue and SBIR grants, in addition to debt and equity financing in a February earnings call.