APEX 1.0 includes dedicated satellite bays that are designed to deliver relay satellites to support direct-to-Earth communications from the far side of the Moon.
ispace’s APEX 1.0 lunar lander is designed and built in the United States as the company’s next-generation lander.
APEX 1.0 is designed to deliver ten times more payload to the lunar surface compared to earlier ispace missions.
Apex is producing additional Aries satellites in 2024 with current lead times of a few months.
The camera that took the Aries SN1 selfie is a payload owned by Apex that completed commissioning last week.
Apex is producing additional Aries spacecraft in 2024 with current lead times of a few months.
Apex commissioned its first payload, a camera that took a selfie of the spacecraft with Earth in the background, on 2024-03-25.
Apex launched its first Aries spacecraft on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission on 2024-03-04.
ispace plans to progressively increase the APEX series payload capacity to eventually reach 500 kg.
The Draper-led lunar lander mission will carry the APEX 1.0 lander that ispace U.S. will design and operate to the far side of the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
Two spacecraft in lunar orbit will host the JAM units and serve as communications relays for the APEX 1.0 lander.
During the demonstration, GITAI’s robots constructed a 5-meter communication tower, connected a communication antenna to the tower's apex, and verified energization of power cables.
Apex’s first satellite, Aries SN1, was launched on 2024-03-04 as one of 53 payloads on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
Apex completed Aries as an ESPA-class spacecraft bus weighing 100 kg that can accommodate an additional 100 kg of payload.
Apex raised a $7,500,000 seed round of funding in October 2022 and has raised more than $50,000,000 in total funding.
Apex expects to move into a new factory in Los Angeles later 2024 to enable long-term plans to mass-manufacture Aries and larger satellite buses.
ispace Mission 3 is planned for launch in 2026, is led by ispace’s U.S. office, and will utilize the APEX 1.0 lander.
ispace U.S. is developing the APEX 1.0 lander for Mission 3 as a member of Team Draper for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
Mission 3 is planned for launch in 2026, is led by ispace's U.S. office, and will utilize the APEX 1.0 lander.
Apex’s inaugural Aries spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2024-01-01 carrying multiple customer payloads.