2026-07-09 15:00:25
SpaceX has signed a deal with Japanese space company ispace to transport half a tonne of equipment to the Moon, in a move aimed at accelerating the development of a commercial lunar economy.
The $50 million (£37 million) agreement will see 500kg of customer payloads flown aboard SpaceX’s Starship megarocket, which is currently being developed to support NASA’s Artemis programme and future lunar missions.
The cargo will be shared between multiple ispace customers, with the Tokyo-based company describing the partnership with Elon Musk’s venture as the beginning of “a new era of lunar exploration” by making access to the Moon more widely available.
ispace chief executive Takeshi Hakamada said: “High-capacity, relatively low-cost lunar transport, such as that provided by Starship, is essential to realising the sustainable lunar economy that ispace aims to create.
“As a Lunar Access Integrator, ispace aims to combine high-value-added lunar transport using its own landers with high-capacity transport opportunities utilising Starship, serving as a gateway for customers around the world to access the Moon and carry out their missions.”
The lunar transportation service could begin as early as 2030, although the timetable depends on Starship completing its development programme.
Starship, the largest rocket ever built, has experienced several delays but is currently expected to play a key role in NASA’s Artemis III mission, which is scheduled to return astronauts to the Moon in late 2027 for the first crewed lunar landing in more than 50 years.
Stephanie Bednarek, SpaceX’s vice president of commercial sales, said: “Having previously flown multiple ispace missions to the Moon aboard Falcon 9, we’re excited to expand this relationship to Starship.
“Their integration services provide a valuable pathway for smaller payloads to secure a ride to the Moon today, and we look forward to supporting ispace and their customers as they help expand access the lunar surface.”
The agreement reflects growing commercial interest in lunar exploration as governments and private companies prepare for long-term operations beyond Earth.
According to a March 2026 report by London-based accounting firm PwC, the global lunar economy could exceed $120 billion by 2050.
Analysts expect future growth to be driven by resource extraction, communications infrastructure, transportation networks, energy generation, and the creation of permanent habitats to support living and working on the Moon.
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