Ispace Inc. is Working on Powering a Habitable Lunar Colony by 2040

Back in 2017, when engineer Akane Imamura joined the Tokyo-based startup Ispace Inc., the company was in the final stages of the Google Lunar X Prize competition. The prize was a total of $30 million for any privately funded project that successfully landed on the Moon 


Sadly, no one made it to the Moon before the competition deadline, and no prize money was awarded. But, Ispace managed to raise over $90 million from Japan's government-backed funds and other companies. With that money, Ispace is now working on making lunar exploration a real business. 

First, the company wants to ferry payloads on its rovers for its clients, and then, they want to try and find water on the Moon’s surface to convert into fuel. The company’s long-term objective is to power a habitable lunar colony by 2040.

Imamura is now working on the first step: engineering a rover that can successfully navigate the moon’s unique landscape.

At Ispace, she is responsible for the rover’s structural elements from forming the wheels that will drive over the lunar surface to selecting which materials can keep the machine robust but lightweight, a maximum of 22 pounds, including any cargo. She’s also helping to design parts of the lander that will carry the two rovers to the Moon in 2021.

One issue with building lunar vehicles is that you can’t test them without launching them into space. Of course, it’s too expensive to launch the vehicle into space just for a test, but luckily Imamura and her team were able to perform a series of tests on a fake moon. 

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has a lunar simulation facility, complete with blackout curtains and spotlights to help mimic the harsh contrast of the Moon’s bright side and its dark side. It also features a massive sand pit that is thought to resemble the Moon’s terrain best.

These tests mean Ispace is one step closer to realizing their goal of a habitable lunar colony by 2040.