ispace and ElevationSpace Sign Agreement to Undertake Japan’s First Private Lunar Sample Return Mission

Tokyo–September 25, 2025 – ispace, inc., (TOKYO: 9348) a global lunar exploration company, and ElevationSpace Inc., have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue a private mission that will return a lunar sample to Earth.

The agreement between the two companies will explore development of atmospheric re-entry and recovery technology for bringing materials developed in space back to Earth, and to develop technologies and create business opportunities for lunar sample return missions.

Based on the agreement, ispace and ElevationSpace will jointly pursue development to undertake a lunar return mission. ispace has already demonstrated the technology to deploy a lander into lunar orbit through its two lunar missions operated in 2023 and 2025. The company is currently considering the development of an Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), derived from its existing lunar lander development technology.

The collaboration aims to conduct a technology demonstration to verify the feasibility of missions utilizing an and the sample return re-entry capsule being developed by ElevationSpace, as well as to evaluate the overall system characteristics. Concurrently, the companies plan to actively collaborate on communications with various potential customers, including governments, space agencies, and private entities both domestically and internationally, to create business opportunities for Japan’s first lunar sample return mission in the future.