WASHINGTON \u2014 Japanese lunar lander developer ispace has selected the H3 rocket to launch its next mission in 2028, creating what the companies called Japan\u2019s first private lunar transportation system.<\/p>\n
At a July 28 (U.S. time) briefing, executives with ispace and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, or MHI, signed an agreement for the launch of ispace\u2019s Mission 3 in 2028 on an H3 rocket provided by MHI. Mission 3 will be the first flight of ispace\u2019s new Ultra lander design announced earlier this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n This will be the first time an H3 has launched an ispace lunar lander or any payload from a Japanese startup. ispace\u2019s first two lunar landers flew on SpaceX Falcon 9 launches in December 2022 and January 2025.<\/p>\n Takeshi Hakamada, chief executive of ispace, said the agreement with MHI was more than a launch contract. \u201cWhat begins today is a new challenge, a joint effort between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and ispace to build Japan\u2019s first privately led lunar transportation system.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTogether with ispace, we have decided to create a new infrastructure scheme,\u201d said Iwao Igarashi, vice president and senior general manager of the space systems division at MHI. \u201cThis infrastructure will serve as the foundation for a new ecosystem within Japan\u2019s space industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryo Ujiie, ispace\u2019s chief technology officer, said that his company selected H3 for reasons beyond just creating a fully Japanese transportation system. He cited the vehicle\u2019s capacity, launch environment and \u201cloading flexibility\u201d among the reasons for choosing the rocket.<\/p>\n He said ispace and MHI have already worked well together to confirm the rocket\u2019s compatibility with the lander, including addressing issues such as how to accommodate the spacecraft and its landing legs within the payload fairing.<\/p>\n The companies declined to discuss the cost of the launch contract or how it compared with SpaceX. Hakamada hinted one factor was the depreciation of the yen, which makes launches whose prices are denominated in U.S. dollars, like the Falcon 9, more expensive for Japanese companies. \u201cThat is giving us a very huge impact,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n One issue he acknowledged with the H3 is the vehicle\u2019s reliability. The H3 has suffered two failures in its eight launches to date, including one on a December 2025 flight. The H3 returned to flight last month<\/a> on what was primarily a test flight of a new configuration of the rocket.<\/p>\n \u201cYou did the investigation and you were able to succeed in the next flight,\u201d he said to Igarashi. \u201cWe thought that it is reliable enough.\u201d<\/p>\n