APEX 1.0 lunar lander by ispace: status and timeline

APEX 1.0 lunar lander

Lunar lander for NASA CLPS program. Delivers scientific payloads to lunar far side and deploys relay satellites for communication.

PilotStage 3 of 5

Mission 3 scheduled 2026 under NASA CLPS with Draper Lab. Landing target: Schrödinger Basin on lunar far side.

Updated Oct 2025Checked 10 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Manufacturing and assembly underway

APEX 1.0 design finalized with engine upgradeDec 2024Complete.
Manufacturing and assembly underwayTarget 2025Current milestone.
Mission 3 launch to the MoonTarget 2026Not yet reached.
Landing on lunar far side (Schrödinger Basin)Target 2026Not yet reached.
Relay satellite deployment in lunar orbitTarget 2026Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

2025Manufacturing and assembly underway (next)
2026Mission 3 launch to the Moon
2026Landing on lunar far side (Schrödinger Basin)
2026Relay satellite deployment in lunar orbit
2027Series 3 lander ready for Mission 6

Current obstacles

Recovering from two mission failuresPrevious landers crashed in 2023 (altitude miscalculation) and 2025 (laser rangefinder malfunction). APEX 1.0 must succeed.
Lunar far side is risky but valuableThe far side lacks line-of-sight to Earth, requiring relay satellites or advanced autonomy. Equipment malfunctions are harder to diagnose and fix remotely.
Competing CLPS providersIntuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace and others are also landing for NASA CLPS. ispace must differentiate by far-side capability and cost.

Physics limits

Lunar night kills surface operationsThe lunar day/night cycle is 14 Earth days each. Without radioisotope heaters, electronics freeze during night. APEX 1.0 will operate during lunar day only.
No return cargo; one-way tripAPEX 1.0 does not return. It is a delivery-only lander. Returning equipment or samples requires a separate ascent vehicle.
Modest payload limits mission scope300 kg is compact for lunar operations. Only small instruments fit; large experiments or sample-return equipment cannot be accommodated.

How it works

4 parts

Ride-share launch

Secondary payload on commercial rocket

APEX 1.0 launches as a secondary payload on SpaceX Falcon Heavy or similar vehicle, traveling to Earth-Moon space.

Descent to far side

Powered landing on lunar surface

The lander brakes with its new engine and landing legs as it descends. This engine was redesigned to meet NASA's vibration and efficiency requirements.

Relay deployment

Communications satellites in lunar orbit

APEX 1.0 releases small relay satellites into lunar orbit to establish a link between Earth and payloads on the hidden far side.

Payload delivery

Instruments operate on lunar surface

Draper Lab's scientific instruments operate on the far-side surface, relaying data through the relay satellites back to Earth.

Spec sheet

Spec	APEX 1.0 lunar lander
Payload capacity	300 kg^R (reported)
Maximum expandable payload capacity	500 kg^R (reported)
Landing target	Schrödinger Basin, lunar far side^R (reported)
Relay satellites deployable	Yes, for far-side communication^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

5 updates

About ispace

The team behind APEX 1.0 lunar lander

ispace

Lunar lander, APEX, commercial moon mission, Japan space

Japanese lunar lander company founded in 2010, listed on TSE in April 2023. APEX 1.0 lander for NASA CLPS program aims to deliver payloads to the lunar far side.

Founded 2010; first private Japanese moon lander. Failed landings in 2023, 2025. Now focuses on APEX 1.0.
APEX 1.0 for NASA CLPS program. Mission 3 targets 2026, delivering payloads to lunar far side.
Raised ¥3B from Takasago Thermal in October 2025 to fund 2027-2028 missions.

ispace-inc.com (opens ispace-inc.com)Company profile →

Founded: 201016 yrs
Headquarters: Japan
Status: Public
Valuation: public
Raised: $83M3 rounds
Last round: Takasago Thermal share allotment · $23MOct 2025
Works in: SpaceflightMoon & deep space
Coverage: 1 program · 5 updateslatest 1 Oct 2025checked 10 Oct
Lead investors: Takasago Thermal Engineering
Partners: Draper Laboratory (opens draper.com)General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (opens ga-ems.com)
Investors: Takasago Thermal Engineering (opens takasago.com)
People: Takeshi Hakamada (opens ispace-inc.com)Founder & CEO

Spec

APEX 1.0 lunar lander

Payload capacity

300 kg^R (reported)

Maximum expandable payload capacity

500 kg^R (reported)

Landing target

Schrödinger Basin, lunar far side^R (reported)

Relay satellites deployable

Yes, for far-side communication^R (reported)

APEX 1.0 lunar lander

Milestones

Most important updates

Upcoming

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Secondary payload on commercial rocket

Powered landing on lunar surface

Communications satellites in lunar orbit

Instruments operate on lunar surface

Spec sheet

Update log

Oct 2025

Jun 2025

Dec 2024

Sep 2023

Apr 2023

About ispace

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Secondary payload on commercial rocket

Powered landing on lunar surface

Communications satellites in lunar orbit

Instruments operate on lunar surface

Spec sheet

Update log

Oct 2025

Jun 2025

Dec 2024

Sep 2023

Apr 2023

About ispace