TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2025--
ispace, inc. (ispace) ( TOKYO: 9348 ), a global lunar exploration company, announced today that its RESILIENCE lunar lander successfully entered lunar orbit on May 7, 2025, at 5:41 a.m. JST (May 6, 2025, 20:41 UTC). This marks the completion of Success 7 milestone of Mission 2 “SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon.”
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ispace engineers performed the injection maneuver from the Mission Control Center in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan in accordance with the mission operation plan. The orbital maneuver required a main thruster burn lasting approximately 9 minutes, the longest to date during Mission 2. RESILIENCE is now maintaining a stable attitude in its planned orbit above the lunar surface. Mission operations specialists are now preparing for final orbit maneuvers after reaffirming ispace’s ability to deliver spacecraft and payloads into lunar orbit. A lunar landing is scheduled for no earlier than June 5, 2025 (UTC) (June 6, 2025, JST).
“First and foremost, we are extremely pleased that the RESILIENCE lander successfully reached lunar orbit as planned today,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace. “We have successfully completed maneuvers so far by leveraging the operational experience gained in Mission 1, and I am very proud of the crew for successfully completing the most critical maneuver and entering lunar orbit. We will continue to proceed with careful operations and thorough preparations to ensure the success of the lunar landing.”
Previously, RESILIENCE completed all deep space orbital maneuvers at 10:00 UTC on April 24, 2025, returning the lander from deep space near to the Moon in order to complete the orbit injection. At its furthest distance, RESILIENCE was 1.1 million kilometers from Earth. Before that RESILIENCE completed a lunar flyby, verifying operation of the main propulsion system, as well as the related guidance, control, and navigation system. Following the flyby, the lander continued its deep space journey, spending approximately two months in a low-energy transfer orbit.
RESILIENCE was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 6:11:39 UTC, Jan. 15, 2025, and was successfully deployed from the rocket at 7:44:24 UTC. The RESILIENCE lander has completed the Earth orbit (Phase 1 in the figure) as well as the lunar flyby, known as Success 5. It has completed the low energy transfer orbit (Phase 2 in the figure) with completion of all deep space maneuvers and is now in lunar orbit.
Mission 2 Milestones
ispace has released a transparent set of criteria known as Mission 2 Milestones between launch and landing and aims to achieve the success criteria established for each of these milestones. The results from this mission as part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, will be weighed and evaluated against the criteria and lessons learned will be incorporated into future missions already in development.
Mission 2 Payloads
On board the RESILIENCE lunar lander will be commercial customer payloads including:
The RESILIENCE lander will serve as a cultural artifact, carrying a UNESCO memory disk that preserves linguistic and cultural diversity.
ispace is leveraging its global presence through its three business units in Japan, the U.S., and Luxembourg, for the simultaneous development of upcoming missions. Mission 2, featuring the RESILIENCE lunar lander, is led by ispace Japan and was launched on Jan. 15, 2025. In this mission, TENACIOUS micro rover developed by ispace Europe SA to be deployed on the lunar surface to conduct technological demonstration of regolith extraction as well as mobility on the lunar surface Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by ispace-U.S. and is expected to launch in 2026. The company’s fourth mission, which will utilize the Series 3 lander, currently being designed in Japan, is scheduled to be launched by 2027.
About ispace, inc. ( https://ispace-inc.com )
ispace, a global lunar resource development company with the vision, “Expand our planet. Expand our future.”, specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States with more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.
ispace Completes Success 7 of Mission 2 Milestones
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Peyton Gray had visualized the moment so many times that he didn't feel nervous when finally making his big league debut — at age 30 after eight years through the minor leagues, independent ball and four winters outside the United States
Gray worked a perfect inning in his debut for the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, getting a groundout on his first pitch in the majors and ending the 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates with a strikeout of Konnor Griffin, the highly touted shortstop playing the day before his 20th birthday.
“That makes me feel pretty old,” Grey said with a smile. “Getting my first career strikeout on him is pretty cool.”
The Rangers promoted Gray from Triple-A Round Rock earlier Thursday when placing left-handed reliever Robert Garcia on the 15-day injured list because of left shoulder inflammation after he hadn't pitched in a week. Gray was the fourth reliever they used after two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom recorded his 62nd career 10-strikeout game, getting those in 5 2/3 innings.
“It was awesome, and I was getting chills,” Rangers manager Skip Shumaker said. “The journey that he had to get to this spot, you could probably write a book about it.”
Gray found out about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, after Round Rock was rained out for the second day in a row in Sugar Land, Texas, that he was going to join the Rangers. He then called his parents in Columbus, Indiana, and they made the more than 900-mile drive to be at their son's big-league debut.
Each time the phone rang in the Rangers bullpen Thursday night, Gray got antsy thinking it could be his moment.
“When it was finally my turn, it was awesome. I wasn’t nervous I was more excited, prepared,” said Gray, who was asked later why he didn't feel nervous. “I think I visualized this moment so many times throughout my life. ... I feel like I’ve been a big leaguer already. I just haven’t been able to be on this stage yet.”
After needing only one pitch to get his first out, Gray got a flyout before facing Griffin, the teenager who two weeks ago agreed to nine-year, $140 million contract with the Pirates. The swing-and-miss for strike three was on an 83.4 mph changeup that catcher Danny Jansen blocked and then threw to first base to end the game.
“This game is amazing. I love this game so much because of stories like that,” Schumaker said. “You’re seeing a kid that just came out of high school not too long ago, and then another guy that has spent (time) trying to get his moment. ... For him to get a strikeout against a future All-Star over there. That’s what the beautiful part of this game is, you don’t see that in every sport. That just doesn’t happen. So yeah, pretty cool moment.”
After being in the Rangers’ minor league system last season, Gray impressed them in spring training this year as a non-roster invite. He had 2.53 ERA in nine appearances with 18 strikeouts and one walk over 10 2/3 innings.
The pitcher who will turn 31 on June 2 began this season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he threw 12 2/3 scoreless innings over seven games, going 1-0 with two saves, 15 strikeouts and two walks.
“Being the 30-year-old non-roster invite that doesn’t have any big league time, I don’t think they expected me to put up as many zeroes and throw as many strikes as I did,” Gray said in the Rangers clubhouse before his MLB debut. ”So I think I surprised them. I might have surprised myself a little bit too.”
After pitching at Florida Gulf Coast University, Gray’s professional debut was a short season with the Colorado Rockies’ affiliate in the Northwest League in 2018, and he stayed in their organization in 2019.
He spent 2021 in the Kansas City Royals’ organization, that between three different seasons for the Milwaukee Milkmen in the independent American Association. He pitched in the Dominican last winter, after the previous three winters in the Mexican Pacific League.
“That’s awesome. 30 years old, that it’s a long time and been through a lot,” deGrom said of Gray. “So for him to get up here and get to the major leagues is just a testament to how hard he has worked throughout the minor leagues and stuff. So very happy for him.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Peyton Gray throws his first pitch in his major league debut to Pittsburgh Pirates' Nick Gonzales in the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Peyton Gray, left, celebrates with catcher Danny Jansen, right, after the team's win in a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Peyton Gray throws to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers pitcher Robert Garcia throws to an Athletics batter during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 16, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
