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Japan firm signs with SpaceX for lunar missions
TOKYO, Sept 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A Japanese start-up is to send spacecraft
to the moon in a deal signed with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the Tokyo-based firm
said Wednesday.
Private lunar exploration company ispace said it would blast a lander and
rovers towards the moon on a SpaceX rocket on two separate missions.
The spaceware will first orbit the moon in mid-2020, followed by a moon
landing attempt set for mid-2021.
It comes a week after SpaceX confirmed Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa
will be the first man to fly around the moon on a SpaceX rocket as early as
2023.
“We share the vision with SpaceX of enabling humans to live in space, so
we’re very glad they will join us in this first step of our journey,” ispace
CEO Takeshi Hakamada said in a statement.
Hakamada also told reporters the company chose SpaceX as it is “highly
credible” and “capable”.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement that the company is
“proud to have been selected by ispace to launch their first lunar missions”.
Hakamada said he could not reveal costs for lunar programmes.
The company has already collected nearly $95 million from investors.
ispace, which now has more than 60 employees, competed as one of five
finalists in the Google Lunar XPrize, which offered $30 million in prizes but
ended with no winner.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1452 hrs