ispace and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries agree to launch Mission 3 ULTRA Lunar Lander aboard H3 rocket. 07.29.2026 First Japanese Lunar Landing Mission Launched by Japanese Rocket TOKYO - July 29, 2026 - ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) (TOKYO: 7011) announced today that the two companies signed a contract for launch and transportation services for ispace's Mission 3 ULTRA Lunar Lander using MHI's H3 rocket currently scheduled for 2028. A computer-generated image of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' H3 rocket and ispace's ULTRA lunar lander. Through the agreement, ispace secures Japan's most reliable launch capability provided by MHI and strengthens its framework to ensure the reliable execution and success of the ULTRA mission. The launch and lunar mission represent the first time a Japanese-made lunar lander and a Japanese-made rocket will work in tandem, taking a groundbreaking step in extending Japan's space capabilities and industry to the Moon, symbolizing a new era of lunar exploration. During its two previous lunar missions, ispace has demonstrated the ability to reliably reach lunar orbit while conducting months-long transport missions. Leveraging that mission operations experience and technical expertise, ispace is currently developing a new lander, ULTRA, with funding from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant. ispace's ULTRA, offering higher performance, higher quality, and faster access to the Moon, will be used to establish a high-frequency, low-cost transportation service to the lunar surface. MHI is a core developer of Japan's space industry for decades. Currently, the company is developing and manufacturing the H3 rocket, a next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle that will replace the H-IIA and H-IIB rockets. Moving forward, the company will continue to support a wide range of space missions both in Japan and abroad by providing stable launch services using the H3 rocket and remains committed to the development of the space industry. An image of Iwao Igarashi, Vice President & Senior General Manager, MHI and Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace at a signing ceremony held at ispace headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Securing reliable launch services is an essential element for the stable growth of Japan's space industry. Combining MHI's proven launch technology with ispace's track record in lander development and operations realizes a launch-to-landing lunar transport system via collaboration between the two Japanese commercial companies. In addition, the two companies have agreed to explore ways to strengthen their cooperation not only in transportation services but also in the future construction of lunar infrastructure and related technologies. Together they will continue to promote the formation of a full-scale lunar transportation system that unites Japan domestic industries, thereby contributing to the expansion of Japan's space industry infrastructure and the creation of the cislunar economy. Statement of Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace, inc. "I am very pleased to sign this launch services contract to launch ULTRA using the H3 rocket. The fact that a lander developed by ispace will be carried aboard the H3 rocket, carrying forward the legacy of Japan's domestically produced rockets with their proven operational track record, as it heads for the Moon symbolizes new possibilities for a Japanese private company to take the lead in advancing lunar development. The success of Mission 3 is a crucial milestone in ispace's early commercialization phase, and I am confident that utilizing the H3 rocket will enable us to establish a reliable lunar transportation system," said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace. Iwao Igarashi, Vice President & Senior General Manager, Space Systems Division, Integrated Defense & Space Systems, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. "It is a great honor for us to provide launch services for ispace's Mission 3 ULTRA, using the H3 rocket. By leveraging the rocket technology and operational track record that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has cultivated, we will contribute to the mission's success by safely and reliably delivering the lander into space. With an eye toward new collaborations in private-sector-led lunar development, we look forward to working with ispace to pioneer new possibilities for Japan's space industry," said Iwao Igarashi, Vice President and Senior General Manager of Space Systems at MHI. ispace, a global lunar resource development company with the vision, "Expand our planet. Expand our future.", specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States with more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow Ispace Inc on X: @ispace_inc. About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. 20260729 M3 MHI Launch Agreement

China reusable rocket launch costs drop by two-thirds: CZ-10B net recovery success marks reusable rocket era as space economy reaches trillion-yuan inflection point. Published: July 27, 2026 Want to read in a language you're more familiar with? China first CZ-10B net-based rocket recovery opens reusable era with 60-70% cost reduction, as space economy paradigm shifts from disposable launches to reusable assets across commercial and government programs. China achieved first recoverable rocket stage on July 10, 2026 as CZ-10B was captured by net recovery on Navigator vessel. Projected to cut launch costs 60-70%. The net-capture system differs from SpaceX tower catch: after separation the stage glides and synchronizes with the moving ship before steel-rope net absorption. The net-capture approach offers specific advantages over the tower catch method. While SpaceX Starship tower catch requires fixed ground infrastructure with millimeter-level precision and zero error tolerance, the net-capture system relaxes terminal error margins to up to 10 meters, reducing control accuracy requirements and associated landing fuel reserves. The net system also does not require the rocket to carry landing legs, reducing dry mass and increasing payload capacity. However, the tower catch method enables shorter turnaround cycles since the rocket remains suspended on the tower for immediate inspection and refurbishment. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has stated Starship aims to achieve one launch per hour within three years through the tower catch approach. China reusable rocket program is not limited to the government-led CZ-10B. Commercial space companies have achieved or are approaching first-stage recovery. CAS Space Lijian-1 completed 15 missions deploying 110 satellites and is developing reusable variants. Deep Blue Aerospace Nebula-1 successfully completed a kilometer-scale vertical takeoff and landing jump test using the same liquid oxygen-kerosene engines that power the orbital vehicle. LandSpace and iSpace are developing reusable methane-liquid oxygen rockets with first-flight targets by 2028. Galaxy Energy and Orienspace Gravity-2 reusable liquid rocket targets Q4 2026 for first launch. The competition among government and commercial programs is accelerating the overall pace of Chinese reusable rocket development. Reusable rockets unlock satellite constellations, space-based computing, in-space manufacturing, and space tourism. GGV Capital analogizes the transition to the caravel-to-galleon shift during the Age of Discovery: space becomes predictable commercial transport. GGV estimates launch volume 10-20x growth over the next decade. The space economy reaches multiple trillions as connectivity and sensing become viable. China builds a transportation ecosystem where rockets are reusable assets with predictable costs.

ESA Awards €65 million contract to luxembourg-based ispace-EUROPE for first European lunar Polar Ice rover. ESA has signed a €65 million contract with Luxembourg-based ispace-EUROPE to develop the MAGPIE rover, Europe's first mission to explore lunar polar ice. ESA has signed a €65 million contract with ispace-EUROPE to develop and operate the MAGPIE rover, Europe's first mission to explore lunar polar ice. The award, announced on 24 July 2026, follows a pre-Phase A agreement granted in December 2024. The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed on 24 July 2026 that it has awarded a €65 million contract to ispace-EUROPE, a Luxembourg-based lunar exploration company, for the development, launch and operation of the Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration (MAGPIE) rover [1]. The contract marks the next phase after an initial pre-Phase A study granted to the same consortium in December 2024 [3]. ESA's headquarters in Paris coordinated the award, while the contractual work will be carried out primarily from ispace-EUROPE's facilities in Luxembourg [1]. The primary parties to the agreement are ESA, acting as the funding and program-management agency, and ispace-EUROPE, which will serve as the mission prime contractor responsible for system design, payload integration, launch services coordination and rover operations [1]. The selection process involved an evaluation of proposals submitted after the 2024 pre-Phase A study, with ESA concluding that ispace-EUROPE possessed the requisite technical capability and commercial experience to deliver the mission on schedule [2]. Funding of €65 million will be disbursed in phases tied to key development milestones, from detailed design through to lunar surface operations [1]. Contract scope and mission architecture. The MAGPIE contract encompasses the complete lifecycle of Europe's first lunar polar ice exploration rover, scheduled for launch in 2029. The rover will be equipped with a suite of scientific instruments designed to detect, characterize and quantify water-ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters near the Moon's south pole [1]. Key payloads include a neutron spectrometer, a drill system capable of reaching depths of up to one metre, and a thermal imaging camera to map temperature gradients [4]. Read slow, think sharp. Development will proceed through ESA's standard Phase B-D framework. Phase B (preliminary design) is slated to begin in Q4 2026, followed by Phase C/D (detailed design, manufacturing and testing) from 2027 through 2029. ispace-EUROPE will collaborate with European research institutions, including the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French Space Agency (CNES), for instrument provision and data analysis [2]. Launch services are expected to be secured through a separate ESA-managed procurement, with a target insertion into a low-lunar polar orbit in early 2029 [4]. Development will proceed through ESA's standard Phase B-D framework. The contract also includes post-landing operations, data downlink, and a two-year science phase on the lunar surface. ESA will retain data rights for European scientific communities, while ispace-EUROPE will manage mission control and rover health monitoring from its Luxembourg operations centre [1]. Impact on European Space industry and lunar research. You may also like JNU released a formal advisory on July 24 2026 directing students, faculty and staff to stay away from Jantar Mantar protests and to exercise caution on social media. The award reinforces Luxembourg's growing role as a hub for commercial space enterprises within the European Union [2]. By securing a €65 million ESA contract, ispace-EUROPE joins a cadre of European firms that have transitioned from technology demonstrators to full-scale mission providers, potentially stimulating further private investment in lunar and deep-space capabilities [2]. For ESA, the MAGPIE mission expands the agency's lunar portfolio beyond the previously announced European Large Logistic Lander (EL3) and the Lunar Pathfinder concepts. The focus on polar ice aligns with ESA's broader scientific objectives to assess in-situ resources that could support future crewed missions and sustainable lunar infrastructure [3]. Data returned by MAGPIE will be made available to European universities and research institutes, enabling studies on lunar volatiles, regolith mechanics and the Moon's thermal environment [1]. Serious about your career? Get the Career Ahead print edition - worldwide delivery. Educational institutions across Europe are expected to incorporate MAGPIE data into curricula for planetary science, engineering and data analytics. The mission's timeline also offers internship and graduate research opportunities within ispace-EUROPE's engineering teams, providing direct pathways for students into the commercial space sector [2]. * PDF - ESA Awards ispace-EUROPE Contract for Execution of MAGPIE... - ispace Inc. * ispace-EUROPE lands €65 million ESA contract to deliver and operate MAGPIE - EU-Startups * ESA Awards ispace New Contract for MAGPIE Moon Mission - European Spaceflight * ispace-EUROPE Secures €65M ESA Contract for MAGPIE Lunar Rover - Luxembourg Space Agency