ispace U.S.
ispace U.S. is a Colorado-based subsidiary of Japan's ispace, inc. that designs lunar landers (APEX 1.0, ULTRA), the TENACIOUS micro rover, and the Alpine/Lupine relay satellites, providing commercial payload delivery, data services, and far-side communications to NASA CLPS and other government and commercial customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersEnglewood, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ispace U.S. does
ispace technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.) is a Colorado-incorporated subsidiary of Japanese lunar exploration company ispace, inc. (TOKYO: 9348), operating as a commercial lunar transportation and infrastructure provider. The company designs, manufactures, and operates lunar landers, micro rovers, and communications relay satellites, with its primary U.S. facility in Englewood/Centennial, Colorado housing the Summit Mission Control Center, an avionics lab, cleanroom, and thermal/vibration test capabilities. Its core product, the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, delivers up to 300 kg of payload to the lunar surface (10x the prior generation) with planned scaling to 500 kg, and is the designated vehicle for Team Draper's NASA CLPS CP-12 mission to the lunar far side scheduled for 2027. Companion products include the TENACIOUS micro rover (developed by Luxembourg sister-entity ispace-Europe) and the Alpine and Lupine relay satellites, which provide S-band, Ka-band, and X-band communications enabling 70%+ simultaneous visibility of the lunar South Pole and Earth for far-side operations.
ispace-U.S. generates revenue through mission-specific payload service contracts and government procurement, primarily under the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The flagship engagement is the $73 million CP-12 task order (with a $7.7 million extension in March 2025), under which ispace-U.S. serves as lunar lander design agent within Team Draper. Additional revenue streams include data services derived from lander/rover/satellite operations and a subscription-based relay communications offering for cislunar customers. The customer base is concentrated in U.S. and international government space agencies (NASA, UNESCO), with smaller commercial payload customers such as Barrelhand Inc. and Rhea Space Activity. Distribution is exclusively through direct enterprise sales and the Draper prime-contractor channel; no public pricing or transactional model exists.
The company is positioned as a U.S. prime contractor for federal lunar missions, supported by a leadership team that includes former NASA astronauts, former NASA senior executives, and advisory board members drawn from the planetary science community. Strategic priorities include qualifying for direct federal contracting, building an ecosystem of propulsion (Agile Space Industries), power (Zeno Power), and communications (Blue Canyon Technologies, Swedish Space Corporation) partners around APEX 1.0, and extending the product line with the larger ULTRA lander for heavier-class missions. Headcount stood at 110+ as of 2025, up from 80+ in September 2023, and the parent ispace, inc. has invested over $40 million in the U.S. entity to date.
ispace U.S. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ispace U.S.
- Legal name
- ispace technologies U.S., inc.
- Website
- https://ispace-us.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ispace U.S. is a Colorado-based subsidiary of Japan's ispace, inc. that designs lunar landers (APEX 1.0, ULTRA), the TENACIOUS micro rover, and the Alpine/Lupine relay satellites, providing commercial payload delivery, data services, and far-side communications to NASA CLPS and other government and commercial customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ispace U.S. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Lunar Transportation Services
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal) (IMABACAM), Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services) (HDAIAJAI), Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE)
Keywords
Where ispace U.S. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Englewood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
ispace U.S. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Payload Transportation Services: Lunar transportation solutions delivering payloads to both lunar surface and orbit for research, resource use, and infrastructure missions. Revenue generated through mission-specific contracts with government agencies (NASA CLPS) and commercial customers
- Data Services: Lunar data collection through landers, rovers, satellites, and communication networks. Data is analyzed and stored in database for mission planning and surface development, provided as service to government space agencies, universities, research institutions, and private companies
- Relay Satellite Services: Communications and data relay services enabling connectivity from far side of Moon to Earth. Services include S-band command/telemetry links, Ka-band proximity uplink, and X-band downlink for low-latency real-time communications
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
ispace U.S. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ispace-U.S. provides end-to-end commercial lunar transportation and infrastructure services, delivering customer payloads to both lunar orbit and the lunar surface. Its offerings center on the APEX 1.0 lunar lander (300 kg payload capacity, 10x the previous generation) and the larger ULTRA lander, supported by TENACIOUS rovers, Alpine & Lupine relay satellites for far-side communications, the VoidRunner propulsion engine, and 24/7 ground segment operations from the Summit Mission Control Center. Services are sold to government space agencies (notably NASA via CLPS), academic and research institutions, and commercial space companies on a mission-contract basis, with recurring data and communications relay services.
Product overview
ispace-U.S. is a lunar exploration company offering a portfolio of space transportation and infrastructure products and services. The core offerings include the APEX 1.0 lunar lander (primary U.S.-built vehicle with 300kg payload capacity) and the larger ULTRA lunar lander. The company operates relay satellites Alpine and Lupine for far-side communications, and provides Payload Services and Data Services. Supporting products include the TENACIOUS micro rover and RESILIENCE lander (from prior missions). These products work together to enable government and commercial customers to transport payloads to lunar orbit and surface, with relay satellites ensuring continuous communication from challenging far-side landing sites.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ULTRA: Next-generation ultra lunar lander designed and manufactured in the United States, leveraging Japanese manufacturing expertise to dramatically reduce weight and scale.
- Alpine and Lupine
Products and services
- APEX 1.0 Lunar Lander Next-generation lunar lander designed and built in the U.S., delivering up to 300 kg payload capacity to the lunar surface (10x earlier lander capability, with progressive plans to 500 kg), featuring dedicated satellite bays for relay communications and the ability to transport orbital, stationary, and mobile payloads to polar and equatorial locations on the near and far side of the Moon. Targeted at NASA CLPS and commercial cislunar customers.
- ULTRA Lunar Lander Large lunar lander designed and manufactured in the United States that leverages Japanese manufacturing expertise for dramatic weight reduction and scalability, intended for heavier-class payload missions beyond APEX 1.0.
- Alpine & Lupine Relay Satellites Communications relay satellites deployed in lunar orbit to enable bi-directional S-band command and telemetry links, high-speed Ka-band lunar proximity uplink, and X-band downlink to Earth, providing low-latency real-time communications from the lunar far side with 70%+ simultaneous visibility of the lunar surface and Earth from the lunar South Pole. Built on the Blue Canyon Technologies Venus-100 microsatellite bus.
- TENACIOUS Rover Micro rover (approximately 26 cm height, 31.5 cm width, 5 kg weight, 1 kg payload capacity) with a CFRP frame for lunar surface exploration and data collection.
- Payload Services Flexible lunar transportation solutions delivering customer payloads to both the Moon's surface and orbit for research, resource use, and infrastructure missions. Supports payloads ranging from small scientific tools to large equipment and serves government agencies (NASA CLPS), universities, research institutions, and commercial companies.
- Data Services Lunar data collection and platform services using landers, rovers, satellites, and communication networks to gather and analyze lunar data for mission planning and surface development, provided as a service to government space agencies, universities, research institutions, and private companies.
- VoidRunner Engine Novel throttled engine system jointly developed by Agile Space Industries and ispace-U.S. for the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, using an internally developed throttle valve and a simplified architecture with 4x fewer parts than the original A2200 engine, providing a highly controllable propulsion subsystem.
- Summit Mission Control Center Ground segment hub for command and telemetry review of spacecraft and customer payloads at ispace-U.S. headquarters, built on lessons learned from Mission 1 operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300 kg payload capacity to lunar surface (10x previous generation)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ispace U.S.
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ispace U.S. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
ispace U.S. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Agile Space IndustriescoreJoint development of VoidRunner engine solution for APEX 1.0 lunar lander. VoidRunner is simplified engine with 4x fewer parts than original A2200 engine, providing highly controllable propulsion subsystem. Critical Design Review scheduled for Fall 2025.
- Zeno Power SystemscoreStrategic collaboration to jointly develop technologies enabling lunar missions to survive the harsh lunar night. Target demonstration mission as early as 2027. Integration of Zeno Power's radioisotope power systems (RPS) into future lunar missions to provide continuous heat and electricity regardless of solar availability.
- Redwire CorporationcoreMOU signed at 40th Space Symposium to jointly pursue commercial lunar exploration and science missions for NASA CLPS initiative and other customers. Redwire provides advanced digital engineering, integration and testing, and lunar subsystems and payloads combined with ispace's proven lunar landing platform and mission operations.
- Volta Space TechnologiesminorCollaboration to develop 'Survive the Night' capability for lunar missions leveraging Volta's optical laser power technologies and ispace-U.S.'s lunar transportation. Framework for integrating Volta's LightPort receiver into future missions.
- Astroport Space TechnologiesminorMOU for future deployment of Astroport's scientific instruments for lunar regolith research. Framework for delivery and deployment by APEX 1.0 lander. Astroport developing patent-pending regolith solidification technologies for lunar infrastructure construction.
- Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)coreGround station services agreement for Mission 3. SSC provides critical communication links through its SSC Connect lunar ground station network. Sole provider of commercial communication system for APEX 1.0 during transit to lunar surface - all commanding, telemetry, ranging, and doppler. Leverages four SSC Connect deep space ground station sites.
- Blue Canyon Technologies (RTX)coreDesign and manufacture of two Venus-class microsatellite buses serving as platform for ispace-U.S.'s lunar communications relay capabilities for Mission 3. Satellites will be deployed in lunar orbit by APEX 1.0 lander prior to landing.
- Rhea Space Activity (RSA)minorPayload services agreement to deliver RSA's Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM) autonomous navigation technology to lunar orbit aboard Mission 3 relay satellites. JAM enables spacecraft to determine orbit from images of celestial objects independently of NASA Deep Space Network.
- Draper LaboratoryflagshipTeam Draper prime contractor relationship for NASA CLPS CP-12 task order. ispace-U.S. serves as lunar lander design agent, providing APEX 1.0 lander for delivery of NASA-sponsored science payloads to far-side of Moon. $73M contract awarded July 2022, with additional $7.7M funding released.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ispace U.S. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Blue Origin: Develops the Blue Moon human-rated lunar lander for NASA's Artemis Human Landing System. Competes for the same NASA lunar transportation business with significantly larger balance sheet.
- Intuitive Machines: Houston-based CLPS provider that landed Nova-C Odysseus on the Moon in 2024. Closest publicly traded direct competitor for NASA lunar payload missions.
- Firefly Aerospace: Cedar Park, Texas-based space company that successfully soft-landed its Blue Ghost lander on the Moon under CLPS. Direct competitor with full mission services including lander and orbital transfer vehicles.
- Astrobotic Technology: Pittsburgh-based lunar lander developer (Peregrine, Griffin) and fellow NASA CLPS provider. Most direct U.S. competitor for commercial lunar payload delivery contracts.
- SpaceX: Selected for Artemis Human Landing System with Starship HLS and operates lunar-class missions. Competes for the same NASA cislunar transportation revenue pool.
Broad incumbents
- Rocket Lab: Public small-sat launch and space hardware company (Electron, Neutron, Photon spacecraft, Space Systems division). Increasingly comparable for cislunar payload delivery through its Photon in-space transportation platform.
- Northrop Grumman: Prime contractor for NASA Gateway HALO module and proposed integrated lunar transportation solutions. Adjacent incumbent competing for cislunar logistics and payload services.
- Lockheed Martin: Major aerospace prime with deep NASA and DoD lunar program relationships and McCandless Lunar Lander heritage. Competes indirectly for any prime-contractor lunar work.
Others
- Draper Laboratory: Flagship Team Draper prime contractor for the NASA CLPS CP-12 award that ispace-U.S. supports as lander design agent. Comparable as a non-profit/FFRDC competing for lunar mission primes.
- Redwire Corporation: Strategic partner (Apr 2025 MOU) providing digital engineering, integration, testing, and lunar subsystems for joint CLPS pursuit. Comparable as a publicly traded space infrastructure and subsystem provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ispace U.S. social profiles
Digital presenceispace U.S. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ispace U.S. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
ispace U.S. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ispace U.S. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ispace U.S.
What does ispace U.S. do?
ispace-U.S. provides end-to-end commercial lunar transportation and infrastructure services, delivering customer payloads to both lunar orbit and the lunar surface. Its offerings center on the APEX 1.0 lunar lander (300 kg payload capacity, 10x the previous generation) and the larger ULTRA lander, supported by TENACIOUS rovers, Alpine & Lupine relay satellites for far-side communications, the VoidRunner propulsion engine, and 24/7 ground segment operations from the Summit Mission Control Center. Services are sold to government space agencies (notably NASA via CLPS), academic and research institutions, and commercial space companies on a mission-contract basis, with recurring data and communications relay services.
Is ispace U.S. a public or private company?
ispace U.S. is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ispace U.S. founded?
ispace U.S. was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ispace U.S. based?
ispace U.S. is headquartered in Englewood, United States, in the North America region.
How does ispace U.S. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Payload Transportation Services are the primary driver. The others are data Services and relay Satellite Services.
Who are ispace U.S.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, Astrobotic Technology and SpaceX. Broad incumbents are Rocket Lab, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Others are Draper Laboratory and Redwire Corporation.
Does ispace U.S. have an API?
No public API is recorded for ispace U.S..
What industry is ispace U.S. in?
ispace U.S.'s product category is Lunar Transportation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAB, Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial), with a secondary code of IMABACAM, Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal). Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.