In a new partnership between India and Japan, an Indian CubeSat is set to orbit the Moon along with a Japanese lunar lander. HEX20Labs India Private Limited has announced a collaborative mission with Japanese firm ispace, intending to launch a CubeSat on one of ispace’s lunar landers in an upcoming mission. The agreement, signed by Lloyd Jacob Lopez, co-founder and CEO of HEX20Labs, and Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of iSpace, in Milan, is an important step in expanding Indian satellite operations beyond Earth orbit.
According to the official report of iSpace, the CubeSat will be built by HEX20Labs, which aims to conduct scientific research and technological testing in cislunar space, thereby further integrating India’s technological contribution to international lunar missions. iSpace has several lunar landing ventures planned, but details of which missions will include HEX20Labs’ CubeSat are unknown.
mission statement
According to iSpace, Mission SisLunar will help accelerate lunar exploration by standardizing satellite platforms and interfaces needed for effective operations in space. “Standardization of the satellite and its interfaces is essential to accelerate cislunar space activities,” said Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of iSpace. He said that this collaboration with HEX20Labs is in line with these goals.
Apart from HEX20Labs, the partnership also includes Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian aerospace company famous for launching India’s first private rocket in 2022, adding another major player in this international mission.
Japan’s lunar efforts and future prospects
Japan’s recent lunar successes, including a precision landing by its Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) in January 2024, represent significant progress in lunar exploration, which is expected to benefit the current project. iSpace’s upcoming Mission 2, expected to launch in December 2024, includes a 1000-kilogram lander named Resilience, as well as a smaller rover, Tenacious, which aims to explore the Mare Frigoris region.
