Today, ispace, inc. (ispace) unveiled its next generation lunar lander,
Series 2, which the company plans to first use for its third lunar mission
(Mission 3), as well as subsequent future missions. Standing at
approximately 9 ft tall and 14 ft wide (approx. 2.7 m tall by 4.2 m wide),
including its legs, it is larger in both size and customer payload design
capacity than ispace’s first-generation lander model, Series 1, which the
company is developing for its first and second missions.
Targeting a launch date in the first half of 2024[i], Series 2 will be the
largest and most capable lander ispace has developed. The plan is for it to
be designed, manufactured, and launched in the United States. This past
June, the lander already successfully passed a preliminary design review
(PDR), a key development phase in the engineering of the vehicle. Moving
forward, it is planned to be developed in partnership with General Atomics
Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS) and Draper, forming a team with
decades of heritage and success in space exploration.
Series 2 is designed to deliver payloads to both lunar orbit and the lunar
surface. The lander has a payload design capacity to deliver up to
500kg[ii]to the lunar surface. For missions where payloads are exclusively
for lunar orbit, capacity can be substituted to deliver up to 2,000kg[iii]
to orbit. It has a modular payload design with multiple payload bays,
allowing for flexibility and optimization for a wider range of government,
commercial and scientific customers. Notably, the lander aims to be one of
the first commercial lunar landers capable of surviving the lunar night and
is designed to have the ability to land on either the near side or far side
of the Moon, including polar regions.
Additionally, the lander’s Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) includes
precision landing technologies capable of ensuring extraordinary accuracy
during descent, including surface relative velocimetry and hazard avoidance
enabling high-precision obstacle avoidance and pinpoint landing site
targeting. The GNC technology is being provided to the Series 2 lander by
Draper, which is recognized as a global leader in entry, descent and landing
(EDL) capabilities with decades of experience dating back to the Apollo
Program.
Series 2 is designed to offer a highly reliable solution for a diversity of
missions, including potential future missions under NASA’s Commercial Lunar
Payload Services (CLPS) program. Its propulsion system will use 5
pressure-fed main engines and 12 reaction control thrusters designed to
maintain proper orientation throughout each mission and is equipped with an
engine-out capability to ensure payload delivery even in the event of an
engine loss, reducing risk and increasing probability of mission success.
The unveiling, which took place at the 36th Space Symposium in Colorado
Springs, was attended by ispace Founder & CEO, Takeshi Hakamada; ispace
US CEO, Kyle Acierno; and ispace U.S. Lander Program Director, Kursten
O’Neill, who leads engineering for the Series 2 lander. The first hire at
ispace US, Kursten joined ispace following seven years at SpaceX, where she
managed new product introduction for the rocket manufacturer’s fleet of
Falcon vehicles.
Comments
● Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO, ispace: “As we look to the near
future, Series 2 will enable us to not only increase our capabilities, but
also to provide greater access and opportunities for our customers. Series 2
is a positive step toward realizing a diverse and sustainable cislunar
ecosystem.”
● Kyle Acierno, CEO, ispace US: “I believe Denver is becoming the
lunar lander capital of the world and we are proud to call it home! I’m
grateful for the hard work and dedication from the team, as well as strong
support from our partners, the local community and friends across the US,
and the world. Over the next few months, we will work closely with Draper
and General Atomics to prepare for the next NASA CLPS task order. With
nearly 30 team members strong, we continue to grow in the U.S. and are
focused on broadening our collaboration with American partners.”
● Kursten O’Neill, U.S. Lander Program Director, ispace: “I couldn’t
be prouder of our team for what we have accomplished with this lander. We’ve
successfully completed PDR and believe this vehicle will truly be a game
changer. Due to its ability to adapt to a wide range of customers, after its
debut for our third mission, we expect the Series 2 lander to service the
market for several years and several missions to come.”
In addition to revealing the new lander model, ispace released a snapshot of
its Payload User’s Guide for Series 2 and Mission 3. While a snapshot
version of the document was released publicly, the complete Payload User’s
Guide is available upon request.
ispace is currently making strong progress on its Mission 1 and Mission 2
preparations. The Series 1 lander for Mission 1 has completed key tests and
is currently undergoing final assembly of its flight model at an ArianeGroup
facility in Germany, ahead of its launch scheduled in the second half of
2022[iv]. The lander for Mission 1 expects to have a full customer payload
manifest, including from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), The
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and various commercial
payloads[v]. Payload capacity is still available for customers to utilize on
ispace’s Mission 2 lander and several discussions for transportation
services are actively ongoing.