Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Successfully Conduct First Human Sake Brewing Experiment in Space: "Dassai MOON Project" First Mission Completed
Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have successfully completed the first mission of the "Dassai MOON Project," a collaborative effort to brew sake on the International Space Station (ISS). They confirmed alcohol fermentation in a simulated lunar gravity environment, leading to the creation and sale of space-brewed sake. Proceeds are planned to be donated to Japan's space development.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 20:00
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## Press Release Information
Title: Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Successfully Conduct First Human Sake Brewing Experiment in Space: "Dassai MOON Project" First Mission Completed
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Company Name:
Industry:
Main Body (First 8000 characters): Dassai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, hereinafter "Dassai") and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries") have completed the first mission of the "Dassai MOON Project," which aims to produce sake on the moon. This mission involved launching a dedicated brewing device and sake ingredients, jointly developed by Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to the International Space Station (ISS). Within the JAXA experimental facility in the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" of the ISS, in an environment simulating lunar gravity, they successfully confirmed the alcohol fermentation process of sake, the first time in human history. The sake mash that completed fermentation inside the ISS "Kibo" returned to Earth, and in March of this year, it was refined into sake at Dassai's headquarters brewery, thus completing all planned missions for the first phase of the "Dassai MOON Project."
Brewing device returned from ISS (left) and completed space-brewed sake (right)
### Achievements of this Mission
- **First-ever Sake Brewing Achieved Outside Earth**: As a result of analyzing the mash obtained from the brewing experiment inside the ISS "Kibo" on the ground, it was confirmed that the alcohol content reached 12%. This experimentally proved that sake production is possible even under lunar gravity conditions, using a manufacturing process similar to that on Earth. On the other hand, orbital data showed that fermentation dynamics were slower compared to on Earth, suggesting that gravity conditions affect fermentation speed. Further research on these details is planned.
- **Development of a Brewing Device for Space**: The sake brewing device developed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for this project operated properly in an environment simulating lunar gravity. It was able to confirm temperature, alcohol concentration, and other parameters using various sensors while promoting the fermentation of the sample through its stirring function.
- **Completion of Dassai MOON -Space Brewed Sake-**: Approximately 260g of the space-brewed mash that returned to Earth was pressed at Dassai's headquarters brewery, yielding 116ml of sake. Dassai filled 100ml of the resulting sake into a titanium bottle and sold it as a proof of challenge for 110 million yen (tax included). The proceeds are planned to be donated to Japan's space development.
- **Application to Fermentation Technology in Future Space Industry**: The sake lees obtained from this mission will undergo precise component analysis with the cooperation of Professor Higashitani's laboratory at Tohoku University. This research will verify genetic changes in yeast in space and differences from ground-based production of fermented foods, contributing to the future development of the space industry.
### Overview of Dassai MOON Project and this Mission
The "Dassai MOON Project" is an initiative aiming to build a sake brewery on the moon and brew Dassai sake, with the goal of improving QOL (Quality of Life) in future lunar life. As the first stage of this mission, Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, utilizing JAXA's Kibo utilization program, conducted an experiment in the ISS "Kibo" Japanese Experiment Module under lunar gravity simulation to demonstrate the concept of sake manufacturing technology in space. In this mission, sake ingredients and a dedicated brewing device were transported to the ISS "Kibo" Japanese Experiment Module, and the phenomenon of fermentation in space was confirmed over a period of two weeks.
Past Link: https://dassai.com/news/info/007297.html
### Mission Timeline
- **2021**: The project concept, "If humanity moves to the moon in the future, we want to brew sake there too," was conceived during a lecture at the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- **2024**: The Dassai MOON Project begins.
- **October 26, 2025**: The brewing device and sake ingredients are transported from Tanegashima Space Center to the ISS using the domestic H3 rocket Flight 7 and the domestic new cargo transfer vehicle HTV-X1.
- **November 25, 2025**: Brewing experiments begin inside the ISS "Kibo," under the charge of astronaut Kimiya Yui.
- **December 8, 2025**: After a two-week experimental period, samples are moved to the freezer inside the ISS.
- **February 27, 2026**: Samples return from the ISS to Earth and are recovered in Los Angeles, USA.
- **March 13, 2026**: Recovered samples arrive at Dassai's headquarters brewery.
- **March 24, 2026**: Based on the returned mash, Dassai MOON -Space Brewed Sake- is completed.
### An "All Japan" Challenge
Another theme of this mission was the goal of "executing the mission with Japan's technological capabilities." For space experiments and the use of ISS "Kibo," technical and operational support was received from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), Space BD Inc., and DigitalBlast Inc. under JAXA's Kibo utilization program. Furthermore, the domestic H3 rocket and the domestic new cargo transfer vehicle HTV-X1 were used to transport the equipment to the ISS from Tanegashima, and the in-orbit operations were also handled by a Japanese astronaut.
Keywords:
Title: Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Successfully Conduct First Human Sake Brewing Experiment in Space: "Dassai MOON Project" First Mission Completed
Subtitle:
Company Name:
Industry:
Main Body (First 8000 characters): Dassai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, hereinafter "Dassai") and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries") have completed the first mission of the "Dassai MOON Project," which aims to produce sake on the moon. This mission involved launching a dedicated brewing device and sake ingredients, jointly developed by Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to the International Space Station (ISS). Within the JAXA experimental facility in the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" of the ISS, in an environment simulating lunar gravity, they successfully confirmed the alcohol fermentation process of sake, the first time in human history. The sake mash that completed fermentation inside the ISS "Kibo" returned to Earth, and in March of this year, it was refined into sake at Dassai's headquarters brewery, thus completing all planned missions for the first phase of the "Dassai MOON Project."
Brewing device returned from ISS (left) and completed space-brewed sake (right)
### Achievements of this Mission
- **First-ever Sake Brewing Achieved Outside Earth**: As a result of analyzing the mash obtained from the brewing experiment inside the ISS "Kibo" on the ground, it was confirmed that the alcohol content reached 12%. This experimentally proved that sake production is possible even under lunar gravity conditions, using a manufacturing process similar to that on Earth. On the other hand, orbital data showed that fermentation dynamics were slower compared to on Earth, suggesting that gravity conditions affect fermentation speed. Further research on these details is planned.
- **Development of a Brewing Device for Space**: The sake brewing device developed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for this project operated properly in an environment simulating lunar gravity. It was able to confirm temperature, alcohol concentration, and other parameters using various sensors while promoting the fermentation of the sample through its stirring function.
- **Completion of Dassai MOON -Space Brewed Sake-**: Approximately 260g of the space-brewed mash that returned to Earth was pressed at Dassai's headquarters brewery, yielding 116ml of sake. Dassai filled 100ml of the resulting sake into a titanium bottle and sold it as a proof of challenge for 110 million yen (tax included). The proceeds are planned to be donated to Japan's space development.
- **Application to Fermentation Technology in Future Space Industry**: The sake lees obtained from this mission will undergo precise component analysis with the cooperation of Professor Higashitani's laboratory at Tohoku University. This research will verify genetic changes in yeast in space and differences from ground-based production of fermented foods, contributing to the future development of the space industry.
### Overview of Dassai MOON Project and this Mission
The "Dassai MOON Project" is an initiative aiming to build a sake brewery on the moon and brew Dassai sake, with the goal of improving QOL (Quality of Life) in future lunar life. As the first stage of this mission, Dassai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, utilizing JAXA's Kibo utilization program, conducted an experiment in the ISS "Kibo" Japanese Experiment Module under lunar gravity simulation to demonstrate the concept of sake manufacturing technology in space. In this mission, sake ingredients and a dedicated brewing device were transported to the ISS "Kibo" Japanese Experiment Module, and the phenomenon of fermentation in space was confirmed over a period of two weeks.
Past Link: https://dassai.com/news/info/007297.html
### Mission Timeline
- **2021**: The project concept, "If humanity moves to the moon in the future, we want to brew sake there too," was conceived during a lecture at the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- **2024**: The Dassai MOON Project begins.
- **October 26, 2025**: The brewing device and sake ingredients are transported from Tanegashima Space Center to the ISS using the domestic H3 rocket Flight 7 and the domestic new cargo transfer vehicle HTV-X1.
- **November 25, 2025**: Brewing experiments begin inside the ISS "Kibo," under the charge of astronaut Kimiya Yui.
- **December 8, 2025**: After a two-week experimental period, samples are moved to the freezer inside the ISS.
- **February 27, 2026**: Samples return from the ISS to Earth and are recovered in Los Angeles, USA.
- **March 13, 2026**: Recovered samples arrive at Dassai's headquarters brewery.
- **March 24, 2026**: Based on the returned mash, Dassai MOON -Space Brewed Sake- is completed.
### An "All Japan" Challenge
Another theme of this mission was the goal of "executing the mission with Japan's technological capabilities." For space experiments and the use of ISS "Kibo," technical and operational support was received from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), Space BD Inc., and DigitalBlast Inc. under JAXA's Kibo utilization program. Furthermore, the domestic H3 rocket and the domestic new cargo transfer vehicle HTV-X1 were used to transport the equipment to the ISS from Tanegashima, and the in-orbit operations were also handled by a Japanese astronaut.
Keywords: