ispace, a global lunar exploration company, announced that the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program launched in September 2018, will conclude upon the expiration of contracts with all 22 partner companies on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. HAKUTO-R was the initial realization of “Expand our planet. Expand our future. Expanding humanity’s habitat into space, toward a sustainable world” —aiming for the Moon together with partner companies from various industries to co-create the cislunar economy.

The company expresses its gratitude to all partner companies, particularly Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the Official Partner responsible for naming Mission 2 “VENTURE MOON.” Additionally, all leadership extends their deepest appreciation to the many Japanese citizens and people around the world who have supported “HAKUTO-R” over the years.

In 2018, when private lunar missions were still unimaginable, ispace launched the “HAKUTO-R” lunar exploration program. The goal was to become the first private company to conduct lunar missions, developing its own lunar lander for high-frequency, low-cost transportation to the Moon carrying a rover for surface exploration.

Through two lunar missions conducted in 2023 and 2025, ispace launched the lander aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets to carry out research and design missions (R&D). Through these two missions, ispace demonstrated its ability to reliably transport payloads to lunar orbit, as well as the lander’s attitude control and guidance control functions through deep space travel. These activities pioneered the history of private space development alongside HAKUTO-R partner companies and supporters worldwide.

In line with mission planning and the conclusion of the program, ispace will continue with future missions to the Moon. With the completion of the R&D Phase, ispace moves forward, taking the lessons learned from Mission 1 and Mission 2, and transitioning into its “Early Commercialization Phase.” Future missions include Mission 3 expected to launch in 2027, an ispace-U.S.  mission, part of Draper’s Commercial Mission 1 carrying NASA CLPS payloads, and Mission 4 in 2028, utilizing the new Series 3 lander, currently under development in Japan with funding from a Small Business Innovation Research grant administered by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. ispace continues to move forward.

Partners

Statement of Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace: “The vast amount of knowledge and data ispace has learned and acquired over the seven years of the HAKUTO-R program is a tremendous asset, achieved through the support of our partners, shareholders, payload customers, government officials, and our employees and their families, To expand humanity into space and aim for a sustainable world where people can live more prosperously, ispace is now united in moving forward toward our next mission— ‘Beyond.’ By continuing on, carrying forward our aspirations, and applying our experience to the future, we hope to repay the debt of gratitude we owe to everyone who has been involved with HAKUTO-R during these seven years.”

Click here to learn more about ispace's HAKUTO-R Lunar Exploration Program