"Japan's ispace: Leading the Lunar Market with Denver Headquarters and NASA Moon Landing Deal"
Japanese lunar lander company ispace is opening its U.S. headquarters in Denver, Colorado, as it aims to become a key transportation provider in the growing moon market. The company's U.S. subsidiary, ispace U.S., has invested over $40 million to date and is developing a new lander called "Apex 1.0" to carry payloads to the moon's surface. The U.S. team has won contracts from NASA under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and is working towards launching its third mission in 2026. The company's CEO, Ron Garan, emphasized the importance of creating a commercial market to achieve a permanent human presence on the moon.