Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX)

Overview

Destination: Lunar Orbit
Mission: Lunar Exploration

Lunar Orbit Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2 Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

The Lunar Polar Exploration mission (LUPEX) is a robotic lunar mission jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), deploying a lunar rover and lander to explore the south pole region of the Moon. JAXA will provide the under-development H3 launch vehicle and the rover, while ISRO would be responsible for the lander.

Updates

Nosu • Oct. 23, 2026, 6:26 a.m.

NET 2028


Cosmic_Penguin • Dec. 10, 2024, 2:10 p.m.

Reverted to NET 2026 per Japanese government documentation, awaiting clarification.


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 18, 2024, 1:42 a.m.

NET 2028.


Cosmic_Penguin • Dec. 6, 2023, 11:10 a.m.

NET late 2025.


H3-24

Family:
Configuration: 24

The H3 Launch Vehicle is a Japanese expendable launch system. Each H3 booster configuration has a two-digit and a letter designation that indicates the features of that configuration. The first digit represents the number of LE-9 engines on the main stage, either "2" or "3". The second digit indicates the number of SRB-3 solid rocket boosters attached to the base of the rocket, and can be "0", "2" or "4". All layouts of solid boosters are symmetrical. The letter in the end shows the length of the payload fairing, either short "S" or long "L". For example, an H3-24L has two engines, four solid rocket boosters, and a long fairing, whereas an H3-30S has three engines, no solid rocket boosters, and a short fairing.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    63.0 m
  • Diameter
    5.27 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.27 m
  • Launch Mass
    ―
  • Thrust
    12142.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    H3-24
  • Family
    ―
  • Variant
    24
  • Alias
    ―
  • Full Name
    H3-24
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $50000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    ―
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    7900.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    ―
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    ―

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI)

President: Seiji Izumisawa Founded: 1884 Successes: 57 Failures: 2 Pending: 12

Agency Type:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group. MHI's products include aerospace components, air conditioners, aircraft, automotive components, forklift trucks, hydraulic equipment, machine tools, missiles, power generation equipment, printing machines, ships and space launch vehicles. Through its defense-related activities, it is the world's 23rd-largest defense contractor measured by 2011 defense revenues and the largest based in Japan.

INFO WIKI
NASA

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NASA is joining international partners to hunt for ice on the Moon in support of future human exploration. The agency is providing a water-detecting instrument, the Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS), to the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) …

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2


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