What Happened
Ispace Partners With Mitsubishi Heavy Industries For H3 Rocket Launch
Japanese space startup Ispace has announced plans to launch a lunar lander using the H3 rocket, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The launch, scheduled for 2028, marks Ispace’s first mission using a domestically developed rocket. Ispace previously launched two lunar landers on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, but both missions were unsuccessful. The company’s founder and CEO, Takeshi Hakamada, emphasized the significance of achieving a lunar landing with Japanese technology for national security and the growth of the country’s space industry. This development was reported by The Japan Times.