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IPFS News Link • Japan

Japanese Company Raises Record $90 Million for Moon Missions

• https://www.space.com

The Tokyo-based company ispace has just raised $90 million to help make its moon-exploration dreams come true.

That's a Japanese record for "Series A" funding — the round of financing that comes after the initial "seed capital" — and the most Series A money ever raised across the global commercial space sector, according to ispace representatives. 

"With this funding, ispace will begin the development of a lunar lander to establish a flexible and regular lunar transportation system, and lead the exploration and development of the lunar surface through micro-robotic systems," company founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada said in a statement. [Moon Base Visions: How to Build a Lunar Colony (Images)]

The company also aims to mount two moon missions in the next three years. The first, targeted for late 2019, will launch the ispace lander to lunar orbit, where it will study the moon's surface. The second, in late 2020, involves putting the lander onto the lunar surface and deploying multiple rovers, company representatives said.

This lander will be capable of carrying 66 lbs. (30 kilograms) of payload, including the rovers — which themselves can each accommodate about 11 lbs. (5 kg), according to ispace representatives.


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