Redwire Corporation, a leader in space infrastructure for the next-generation space economy, and ispace technologies U.S., an American lunar exploration company specializing in cis-lunar space transportation and infrastructure services, announced at the 40th Space Symposium, a memorandum of understanding to jointly pursue commercial lunar exploration and science missions for the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and other customers.

The NASA CLPS contract is a multi-award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028. 

NASA created the CLPS initiative to support the creation of a lunar economy through commercial deliveries of NASA science that will help prepare for the next generation of explorers. Redwire is one of 14 prime contractors on the CLPS IDIQ contracts, and together with ispace-U.S., the team will be pursuing future CLPS contracts, leveraging the proven ispace lunar lander.

ispace-U.S.’s APEX1.0 lunar lander is ispace’s next-generation lander, leveraging lessons learned from the RESILIENCE lander used for Mission 1 and Mission 2, to deliver enhanced mass-to-surface capabilities. The APEX1.0 lander serves as a multi-purpose platform, capable of delivering customer payloads to the lunar surface or to lunar orbit.

“Redwire is proud to partner with ispace-U.S. to pursue upcoming commercial lunar exploration and science missions and deliver critical lunar infrastructure,” said Mike Gold, President of Civil and International Space at Redwire.  “The combination of Redwire’s advanced digital engineering, integration and testing, and lunar subsystems and payloads with ispace’s proven Lunar landing platform and mission operations creates a world-class team to support the future of humanity’s operations on the lunar surface and beyond.”

“ispace-U.S. is thrilled to announce the partnership with Redwire to push the boundaries of lunar exploration," said Elizabeth Kryst, CEO of ispace-U.S. "With significant heritage from the previous ispace lunar missions, as well as its growing footprint in the United States, ispace-U.S. is uniquely positioned to instill confidence in pursuing future commercial lunar exploration and science missions to help build a cis-lunar economy”.

With this strategic collaboration, Redwire and ispace-U.S. will be empowered to apply proven experience, expertise, and heritage to support future commercial lunar missions for government and private sector customers.

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