REUTERS
October 20, 2023 at 15:20 JST
A replica of ispace Inc.’s lunar lander is shown in Tokyo on April 26, 2023. (The Asahi Shimbun)
Japan will provide a subsidy of up to 12 billion yen ($80 million) to moon exploration startup ispace as part of a grant program for innovative ventures, industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Friday.
Tokyo-based ispace aims to launch its second moon lander next year and start a NASA-sponsored moonshot in 2026, following its failed first lunar landing attempt in April this year.
The Japanese government’s grant will be used to develop a new spacecraft, tentatively called “Series 3,” which aims to carry more than 100-kg loads to the moon’s surface by 2027, ispace said in a corporate disclosure.
The grant would not have any material impact on the company’s near-term earnings forecast since it relates to a future mission, ispace added. The company has expected to book a net loss of 4.5 billion yen in the current financial period ending in March 2024.
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