The Tokyo-based startup ispace, which aims to become a leading provider of lunar transportation services, has revealed its new lander design, Apex 1.0, which will carry NASA payloads to the Moon in 2026. The company also announced that it has moved its US headquarters from Texas to Denver, Colorado, to be closer to its key customers and partners.
Apex 1.0
ispace held a media briefing on Thursday, where it showcased its Apex 1.0 lander, which has a larger payload capacity than its previous Series-2 lander. Apex 1.0 can deliver up to 300 kg (660 lbs) of cargo to the lunar surface, while Series-2 can only carry 30 kg (66 lbs).
We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new ispace – U.S. headquarters in Denver, Colo.! At this facility, we are currently designing, and plan to manufacture and operate, our new APEX 1.0 lunar lander for future missions. (1/2)
Read more: https://t.co/fmTByNROEB#ispaceUS pic.twitter.com/3ry3IB4Ucd— ispace (@ispace_inc) September 29, 2023
The company said that it decided to switch to the new lander design to meet the requirements of NASA, which is the main customer for its upcoming mission. ispace has secured a $55 million contract with NASA under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to send scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon using private sector partners.
ispace is part of a team led by Draper Laboratory, a non-profit research and development organization, which was awarded the CLPS Task Order 4 in June 2021. The team will use Apex 1.0 to deliver about 95 kg (210 lbs) of NASA payloads to a challenging landing site near the lunar south pole, where water ice and other resources are believed to exist.
Revised timeline
ispace announced that the revised timeline for Mission 3 allows Team Draper and ispace – U.S. to leverage the enhanced capabilities of APEX 1.0 to accommodate sensitive payloads. This mission is set to land in a technically challenging location on the far side of the Moon.
ispace’s first attempt to land on the Moon with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 failed in April 2021, when the lander crashed on the lunar surface due to an engine malfunction. The lander was carrying several commercial and government-owned payloads, including a small transformable robot from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Despite the setback, ispace remains optimistic about its future missions and plans to launch its second mission to the Moon in 2024, using Apex 1.0 again. The company hopes to achieve a successful landing this time and deploy its own micro rover, which will collect data from the lunar terrain.
ispace’s vision is to create a sustainable lunar economy by providing regular and affordable transportation services to the Moon for various customers and applications. The company also intends to support lunar exploration and development by offering data and resources from the Moon.
Originally published on Interesting Engineering : Original article