Lunar exploration company ispace has announced it will be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on April 12, which is the 62nd anniversary of the first human spaceflight by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
The listing will come just weeks before the company’s HAKUTO-R vehicle is scheduled to land on the moon in late April. The spacecraft, launched on Dec. 11, would become the first privately-built vehicle to land on the moon if it is successful.
“In December 2022, ispace launched its first lunar lander, taking the initial step toward creating a world where the Earth and the Moon are a unified ecosystem,” the company said in an announcement. “ispace seeks to lead the world in constructing important infrastructure that will serve as the backbone of this ecosystem, and believes that this infrastructure will be essential for making the Earth a sustainable place where humans can live prosperous lives for many years to come.
“Through this new listing, ispace seeks to commence dialogues with as many global investors in the stock market as possible and request their participation in this infrastructure construction project. This will be the initial step toward creating a unified ecosystem between the Earth and the Moon,” ispace added.
HAKUTO-R lander is carrying 30 kg (66 lb) of commercial and government payloads, including:
- United Arab Emirates’ Rashid lunar rover
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) SORA-Q transformable lunar robot
- NGK Spark Plug Company’s solid-state battery test module
- Mission Control Space Services Inc.’s artificial intelligence (AI) flight computer
- multiple 360-degree cameras from Canadensys Aerospace
- music disc with the song “SORATO” performed by Japanese rock band Sakanaction, an original supporter of Team HAKUTO during Google Lunar XPRIZE
- panel engraved with the names of Team HAKUTO crowdfunding supporters during Google Lunar XPRIZE.
The HAKUTO-R spacecraft has completed five of 10 milestones so far.
HAKUTO-R Mission Milestones
| Number | Milestone | Success Criteria | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Completion of launch preparation | Complete all development processes of the Series 1 lunar lander before flight operations |  |
| Contract and prepare launch vehicle, and complete integration of lunar lander into the launch vehicle | |
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| 2 | Completion of Launch and Deployment | Complete successful separation of the lunar lander from the launch vehicle | |
| Provide that the lander’s structure is capable of withstanding the harsh conditions of launch, validating the design and gathering information towards future developments and missions | |
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| 3 | Establishment of a Steady Operation State (*Initial Critical Operation Status) | Establish communication link between the lander and Mission Control, confirm a stable attitude, as well as start stable generation of electrical power in orbit. The completion of this step verifies the integrity of lander core systems and customer payloads | |
| 4 | Completion of first orbital control maneuver | Complete the first orbital control maneuver, setting the lander on a course towards the Moon and verifying operation of the main propulsion system, as well as related guidance, control and navigation system | |
| 5 | Completion of stable deep-space flight operations for one month | Prove that the lander is capable of steady deep-space flight by completing a nominal cruise and orbital control maneuvers over a one-month period | |
| 6 | Completion of all deep space orbital control maneuvers before LOI | Complete all planned deep space orbital control maneuvers by utilizing gravity assist effects and successfully target the first lunar orbit insertion maneuver. This stage proves the ability of the lander’s deep-space survivability, as well as the viability of ispace’s orbital planning | |
| 7 | Reaching the lunar gravitational field/lunar orbit | Complete the first lunar orbit insertion maneuver and confirm the lander is in a lunar orbit, verifying the ability of ispace to deliver spacecraft and payloads into stable lunar orbits | |
| 8 | Completion of all orbital control maneuvers in lunar orbit | Complete all planned lunar orbital control maneuvers before the landing sequence | |
| Confirm the lander is ready to start the landing sequence | |||
| 9 | Completion of lunar landing | Complete the landing sequences, verifying key landing abilities for future missions | |
| 10 | Establishment of a steady system state after lunar landing | Establish steady telecommunication and power supply on the lunar surface after landing to support customer payloads’ surface operations. |
ispace is planning a series of missions to the moon. The second mission will deploy a rover on the surface and is set to launch in 2024.
ispace is a commercial spinoff from Team HAKUTO, which was created in 2010 to compete in the $30 million Google Lunar XPrize competition for the first private company to land and operate a rover on the moon. The prize ended in 2018 without a winner. ispace is headquartered in Japan with subsidiaries in Luxembourg and Denver, Colorado.
