ispace unveiled the Apex 1.0 lander, which will fly to the moon in 2026
The Japanese space company ispace has unveiled the Apex 1.0 lander, designed for short-range lunar missions, reports TechCrunch.
It is expected to deliver up to 300 kg of cargo to the lunar surface. Apex 1.0 will be launched as part of the third ispace mission, in partnership with the Draper Laboratory, to deliver a payload to the back of the Moon for NASA. Initially, the mission was planned for 2025, but now it is expected to be launched in 2026.
But ispace’s activities are not limited to this. The company has also invested over $40 million in its American subsidiary. Takeshi Hakamada, CEO of ispace, noted that the level of investment demonstrates the company’s strong commitment to the American market. He expects this figure to continue to grow.
In April of this year, the Japanese module of the ispace company failed to land on the Moon. Engineers discovered the loss of communication when the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander approached the lunar surface.