Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Yoshimasa Hayashi Visits ispace EUROPE, its European Base
ispace welcomed a Japanese delegation led by Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Yoshimasa Hayashi to its European base, ispace EUROPE, in Luxembourg. This visit aimed to strengthen relations between Japan and Luxembourg in the field of space exploration, with presentations on ispace's lunar missions, the new business concept "Lunar Connect Service," the MAGPIE project, and the development status of lunar rovers.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 19:00
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ispace Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Takeshi Hakamada; hereinafter "ispace") (Securities Code: 9348) welcomed a Japanese delegation led by Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Yoshimasa Hayashi, who serves as Chairman of the Japan–Luxembourg Parliamentary Friendship League (JLPFL), to the headquarters of its European subsidiary, ispace-EUROPE S.A. (hereinafter "ispace EUROPE"), based in Luxembourg, on Monday, May 4, 2026.
At the ispace EUROPE office, from left: Mr. Mamoru Nomura, Japanese Ambassador to Luxembourg; Mr. Kazuhiro Miyamoto, Member of the House of Councillors; Mr. Junpei Nozaki, ispace Director, CFO & Executive Officer, Business Development; Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; Mr. Shigeharu Aoyama, State Minister of the Environment & Member of the House of Representatives; Mr. Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, ispace EUROPE CEO; and Ms. Charlotte Nassey, ispace EUROPE Senior Policy Officer.
This visit to ispace EUROPE was conducted as part of the activities of the Japan–Luxembourg Parliamentary Friendship League, providing an opportunity to demonstrate the strengthening relationship between Japan and Luxembourg in innovation, advanced technology, and space exploration.
On the day of the visit, the delegation included Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, members of both houses of the Diet, officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and officials from the Embassy of Japan in Luxembourg, including Ambassador Mamoru Nomura. From ispace, Mr. Junpei Nozaki, Director, CFO & Executive Officer, Business Development; Mr. Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, ispace EUROPE CEO; and Ms. Charlotte Nassey, Senior Policy Officer, welcomed the delegation.
During the visit, the delegation received presentations on ispace's global lunar missions, the newly announced business concept "Lunar Connect Service," and the MAGPIE (The Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration) project, which is under development at the European base. Following this, a tour of ispace EUROPE's engineering facilities was conducted, where ispace EUROPE engineers provided explanations on the development status of lunar rovers, including their structure, onboard software, and mission operation capabilities. The delegation also experienced a demonstration of rover mobility in a simulated lunar environment at the "Lunar Yard" facility, used for rover testing.
We express our deep gratitude to Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and all members of the Japan–Luxembourg Parliamentary Friendship League for their visit. ispace EUROPE, as a member of the globally expanding ispace, will continue to play a central role in the development of lunar mobility systems and lunar exploration projects in Europe.
■ Comment from Junpei Nozaki, ispace Director, CFO & Executive Officer, Business Development
"We were honored to have Minister Hayashi and the delegation visit our European subsidiary. Lunar development and satellite infrastructure in lunar orbit are rapidly progressing, and we hope this visit will lead to the revitalization of global cooperation between Japan and Europe."
■ Comment from Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, ispace EUROPE CEO
"It was an honor to welcome Minister Hayashi and the delegation to Luxembourg. This visit symbolizes the strong and developing relationship between Luxembourg and Japan, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in advancing lunar exploration and space innovation."
■ About ispace Inc. (https://ispace-inc.com/jpn/)
ispace is a space startup engaged in lunar resource development, with the vision "Expand our planet. Expand our future. ~Expanding humanity's living sphere into space for a sustainable world~". The company operates from three bases in Japan, Luxembourg, and the U.S., with approximately 350 staff. Established in 2010, it managed "HAKUTO," one of the five finalist teams in the Google Lunar XPRIZE race. ispace develops small landers (lunar landers) and lunar rovers (lunar exploration vehicles) with the aim of providing frequent, low-cost transportation and data services to the Moon. Private companies doing business on the Moon.
At the ispace EUROPE office, from left: Mr. Mamoru Nomura, Japanese Ambassador to Luxembourg; Mr. Kazuhiro Miyamoto, Member of the House of Councillors; Mr. Junpei Nozaki, ispace Director, CFO & Executive Officer, Business Development; Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; Mr. Shigeharu Aoyama, State Minister of the Environment & Member of the House of Representatives; Mr. Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, ispace EUROPE CEO; and Ms. Charlotte Nassey, ispace EUROPE Senior Policy Officer.
This visit to ispace EUROPE was conducted as part of the activities of the Japan–Luxembourg Parliamentary Friendship League, providing an opportunity to demonstrate the strengthening relationship between Japan and Luxembourg in innovation, advanced technology, and space exploration.
On the day of the visit, the delegation included Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, members of both houses of the Diet, officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and officials from the Embassy of Japan in Luxembourg, including Ambassador Mamoru Nomura. From ispace, Mr. Junpei Nozaki, Director, CFO & Executive Officer, Business Development; Mr. Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, ispace EUROPE CEO; and Ms. Charlotte Nassey, Senior Policy Officer, welcomed the delegation.
During the visit, the delegation received presentations on ispace's global lunar missions, the newly announced business concept "Lunar Connect Service," and the MAGPIE (The Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration) project, which is under development at the European base. Following this, a tour of ispace EUROPE's engineering facilities was conducted, where ispace EUROPE engineers provided explanations on the development status of lunar rovers, including their structure, onboard software, and mission operation capabilities. The delegation also experienced a demonstration of rover mobility in a simulated lunar environment at the "Lunar Yard" facility, used for rover testing.
We express our deep gratitude to Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and all members of the Japan–Luxembourg Parliamentary Friendship League for their visit. ispace EUROPE, as a member of the globally expanding ispace, will continue to play a central role in the development of lunar mobility systems and lunar exploration projects in Europe.
■ Comment from Junpei Nozaki, ispace Director, CFO & Executive Officer, Business Development
"We were honored to have Minister Hayashi and the delegation visit our European subsidiary. Lunar development and satellite infrastructure in lunar orbit are rapidly progressing, and we hope this visit will lead to the revitalization of global cooperation between Japan and Europe."
■ Comment from Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, ispace EUROPE CEO
"It was an honor to welcome Minister Hayashi and the delegation to Luxembourg. This visit symbolizes the strong and developing relationship between Luxembourg and Japan, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in advancing lunar exploration and space innovation."
■ About ispace Inc. (https://ispace-inc.com/jpn/)
ispace is a space startup engaged in lunar resource development, with the vision "Expand our planet. Expand our future. ~Expanding humanity's living sphere into space for a sustainable world~". The company operates from three bases in Japan, Luxembourg, and the U.S., with approximately 350 staff. Established in 2010, it managed "HAKUTO," one of the five finalist teams in the Google Lunar XPRIZE race. ispace develops small landers (lunar landers) and lunar rovers (lunar exploration vehicles) with the aim of providing frequent, low-cost transportation and data services to the Moon. Private companies doing business on the Moon.