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Japan, UAE space bilateral relations expanding: ispace CEO

The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface. (ANJP)
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface. (ANJP)
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon's orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface.
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16 Apr 2021 08:04:35 GMT9
16 Apr 2021 08:04:35 GMT9

Khaldon Azhari

TOKYO: Takeshi Hakanada, founder and CEO of Japanese company ispace, said they are looking forward to partnering with the UAE to start the first ever lunar mission between the two  countries. 

“This is a pioneer project for my company, Japan and the UAE,” Hakanada exclusively told Arab News Japan at his office in Tokyo.

The UAE’s lunar mission aims to send a rover developed by ispace to the moon. The Japanese company will also supply the lander that transports the rover from the moon’s orbit to the lunar surface, as well wireless communication technology on the lunar surface. 

This first mission is scheduled to launch in 2022, however, Hakanada said they could not disclose the exact timing.

The Emirates Lunar Mission is part of ispace’s plans to provide lunar delivery services to other space agencies and commercial customers. 

“This UAE lunar transportation service is just the beginning,” Hakanada explained. “Our vision is to expand our space missions to outer space. We want to start utilizing resources in the lunar service especially water resources.” 

One of the Japanese space company’s core missions is to transform water into Hydrogen and Oxygen so it becomes the fuel to spacecrafts. 

“Such resource utilization in the space becomes the key for the sustainable eco system even on earth,” he added.

Ispace has a relationship with the Japanese government and some of its shareholders include the Development Bank of Japan. 

Government related financial institutions have  invested in ispace, which is also hoping to supportThe Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in its future lunar mission.

The cooperation with the UAE started when Hakanada visited the Gulf state for the first time a few years ago to attend a conference at which ispace exhibited rovers.

 “Through continued discussions and cooperation for many years, we have reached this agreement,” the CEO said. “I can say we have built a good space relationship with the UAE on earth.”

Hakanada said space activities are recently shifting from being government based to more commercial activities, and lunar activities will become more commercialized.  “This means more business opportunities in the future, and we hope the UAE will be part of that,” he said.

Considering projects like the UAE’s Hope Probe, Hakanada said “we see this lunar rover a very special bilateral cooperation in the space. The prospects of this project are huge. We want to make it a success story.”

“The UAE is the only Arab country pioneering space projects, and we expect more opportunities in the future with other Arab countries,” the founder of ispace told Arab News Japan. 

The meetings with the Emirati space engineers are going on regularly although it is not always on a “face to face” level, Hakanada explained.

Ispace, established in 2010, is based in Tokyo and mostly focuses on lunar exploration at this moment to establish a sustainable ecosystem between the Earth and the Moon by unlocking the utilization of space resources. 

As Founder & CEO of ispace, Hakanada went on to earn a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he was involved in the conceptual design of next-generation aerospace systems. Starting in 2010, while working for a management consulting firm, he worked part-time to lead the Japanese team, HAKUTO, one of the finalists for the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition, and changed the team’s management to ispace, inc. 

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