By Kantaro Komiya
TOKYO (Reuters) – Tokyo-based moon exploration company ispace is encouraged by recent developments indicating that the United States and Japan will continue collaborating on joint lunar missions, according to its CEO, Takeshi Hakamada, speaking on Wednesday. This optimism comes amidst uncertainties surrounding U.S. space policies during the tenure of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Hakamada’s positive outlook follows a meeting over the weekend between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where they reiterated a commitment to a “strong partnership” for upcoming Artemis moon surface exploration missions. While the space priorities of Trump’s second term remain uncertain, with the notable influence of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s emphasis on Mars exploration, the continuity in international collaborations could provide reassurance to Artemis partners.
In addition to Japan and the United States, other key partners in NASA’s Artemis program include Europe, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. The program, which leverages rocket launches by private companies, aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2028.
“We believe that the CLPS program should continue as planned,” stated Hakamada during an earnings briefing, referring to NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which supports private lunar projects.
Having launched last month, ispace’s Resilience lander is on track to reach the moon in approximately three months for the company’s second lunar landing, following an unsuccessful attempt in 2023. For its third mission, ispace intends to deploy a lander carrying scientific instruments to the far side of the moon in 2026 as part of the CLPS.
The commercial space race is gaining momentum as a number of American companies supported by NASA prepare to send unmanned landers to the moon this year. For instance, Texas-based Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost, which was transported by a SpaceX rocket alongside Resilience, is expected to reach the moon in early March. Intuitive Machines, known for achieving the world’s first commercial lunar landing last year, plans to launch another mission later this month.
Looking at the financial aspect, ispace anticipates a net loss of 10.8 billion yen ($70.3 million) for the fiscal year ending in March. However, the company’s CFO, Jumpei Nozaki, expressed confidence that ispace will achieve profitability “within a few years.”
Following a strong debut on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and peaking at 2,373 yen in April 2023, ispace’s shares have since plateaued, closing at 650 yen on Wednesday.
($1 = 153.6300 yen)
(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
