In 2010, Takeshi Hakamada founded ispace with a visionary goal: to extend human presence into outer space and create a sustainable world by expanding our living sphere beyond Earth. Inspired by his childhood dream of space exploration and fueled by a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, Hakamada initially led the HAKUTO team as a finalist in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition. This experience shaped his understanding that the traditional government-led approach to space development was too slow and risk-averse. By transforming HAKUTO into ispace, he set out to prove that private enterprise could accelerate space exploration through innovation and calculated risk-taking.
Today, ispace stands at the forefront of the new space economy, developing micro-robotic technology to provide high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company's vision - "Expand our planet. Expand our future." - reflects a belief that lunar water resources are the key to building sustainable space infrastructure. By mapping and developing these resources, ispace aims to enable a future where the Moon supports construction, energy, communications, agriculture, and tourism. With over 300 employees across Japan, the United States, and Europe, ispace has successfully launched lunar missions and continues developing landers and rovers that will make space accessible for scientific discovery and commercial ventures. The company envisions that by 2040, the Moon will support a population of 1,000 with 10,000 visitors annually, creating a new Earth-Moon ecosystem that sustains human life.