This is a new model of space exploration that opens up wide possibilities
In a quiet but consequential agreement, the University of Leicester and Japan's ispace have committed to placing a Raman spectrometer on the lunar surface — a laser-based instrument born from Mars exploration and now repurposed to read the moon's own elemental story. The partnership, years in the making, seeks to locate the minerals, frozen volatiles, and water ice that will determine whether humanity can sustain a lasting presence beyond Earth. It is a collaboration that joins academic depth with commercial reach, and British scientific heritage with Japanese engineering ambition, at a moment when the moon is no longer a destination but a threshold.
- Human missions to the moon are no longer hypothetical, and the race to understand what resources the lunar surface holds has become genuinely urgent.
- Without knowing where water ice and critical minerals lie, future crewed missions face the same fragility as expeditions launched without maps.
- A spectrometer originally designed for Mars has been retooled by a consortium of European researchers to interrogate the moon's regolith at the molecular level.
- ispace and Leicester are jointly engineering the deployment mechanism that will position the instrument — whether on a lander or a rover — to do its analytical work in one of the harshest environments imaginable.
- The UK government is watching closely, framing the mission not only as science but as an early stake in the emerging economy of space resource utilization.
- The agreement signals a maturing model of exploration — one where universities field operational instruments and academic breakthroughs are tested against the reality of another world.
The University of Leicester and Japanese space company ispace have signed a formal agreement to deliver a Raman spectrometer to the lunar surface aboard one of ispace's ULTRA landers. The instrument will analyze the moon's regolith at the molecular level, mapping the distribution of minerals, frozen volatiles, and water ice — the resources that future human missions will depend on.
The spectrometer has a layered history. Originally developed as a laser-based tool for the ExoMars mission, it was adapted by Leicester researchers working with partners at Spain's INTA, the University of Aberdeen, RAL Space, and the University of Valladolid, with funding from the UK Space Agency. The collaboration with ispace began with a letter of support in 2022, progressed to an initial payload agreement in 2024, and has now matured into a full Payload Service Agreement. The two organizations are also jointly designing the mechanism that will deploy and operate the instrument on the lunar surface.
ispace founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada described the partnership as a union of complementary strengths — Leicester's spectroscopy expertise paired with ispace's capacity to transport and navigate equipment across the moon. UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd echoed that framing, calling it a model of academic excellence meeting commercial drive, and pointing to the strategic value of positioning Britain in the growing market for sustainable lunar exploration.
Dr. Hannah Lerman, who leads Leicester's Planetary Group, welcomed what she sees as a new mode of space exploration — one that allows academic institutions to demonstrate real technologies in operational settings. With crewed lunar missions drawing closer, she suggested, this mission is less a beginning than a preparation: the groundwork for a return that is finally within reach.
The University of Leicester and the Japanese space company ispace have formalized a partnership to place a sophisticated analytical instrument on the moon. The agreement, signed recently, commits ispace to delivering a Raman spectrometer to the lunar surface aboard one of its ULTRA landers on a mission yet to be scheduled.
The spectrometer itself has an interesting pedigree. It began as a laser-based analytical tool developed for the ExoMars mission, then was adapted by Leicester researchers working alongside collaborators at Spain's INTA, the University of Aberdeen, RAL Space, and the University of Valladolid. The UK Space Agency funded the work through its Science and Exploration Bilateral Fund. Once deployed on the moon, the instrument will do what it was designed to do: analyze the powdery surface material, or regolith, to determine what it's made of at the molecular level. The goal is to map out where valuable resources lie—particular minerals, frozen volatiles, and water ice—resources that future human missions to the moon will need.
The two organizations have been building toward this moment for years. A letter of support in 2022 opened the conversation. By 2024, they had signed an initial payload agreement. This full Payload Service Agreement represents the maturation of that relationship. Part of the work ahead involves engineering. ispace and Leicester are jointly designing a deployment mechanism—essentially a way to position and operate the spectrometer on the lunar surface, whether it's mounted on the lander itself or carried by a rover.
Takeshi Hakamada, ispace's founder and CEO, framed the partnership as a combination of complementary strengths: Leicester brings deep expertise in Raman spectroscopy; ispace brings the rockets, the landers, and the know-how to move equipment across the lunar terrain. Together, he said, they're laying groundwork for missions centered on understanding and using lunar resources.
The UK government sees broader significance in the arrangement. Liz Lloyd, the UK Space Minister, called it an example of what happens when academic excellence meets commercial drive, and she emphasized the deepening ties between British and Japanese space efforts. More strategically, she noted that analyzing the lunar surface to identify high-value minerals, volatiles, and water ice positions the UK in an emerging market—sustainable lunar exploration that could generate economic opportunity.
Dr. Hannah Lerman, who leads the Planetary Group at Leicester's School of Physics and Astronomy, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership's evolution. She described ispace as bringing a fresh, dynamic approach to space missions, and she highlighted that this agreement represents a new model of space exploration—one that lets academic institutions like Leicester demonstrate technologies they've developed in real operational contexts. With human missions to the moon approaching, she suggested, this step matters. It's preparation for a return that's no longer distant.
Notable Quotes
By combining the University of Leicester's expertise in Raman spectroscopy with ispace's lunar transportation and surface mobility capabilities, we are helping lay the groundwork for future missions focused on understanding and utilising lunar resources.— Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of ispace
This agreement is an important step in preparing for a future return to the moon, opening up a wide range of possibilities to demonstrate the capabilities of our technology.— Dr. Hannah Lerman, University of Leicester
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that this spectrometer goes to the moon now, rather than waiting for human astronauts to arrive?
Because the instrument can scout ahead. It maps resources—water ice, minerals—before humans land. That data becomes the blueprint for where to build habitats, where to extract fuel, where to mine. It's reconnaissance.
But couldn't humans just do this themselves when they arrive?
They could, but it would be inefficient and risky. Humans need to know where to go and what to expect. This tool gathers that intelligence remotely, safely, on ispace's schedule, not on the timeline of a crewed mission.
Why does the UK government care about this particular partnership?
Two reasons. First, it's UK science—Leicester's expertise—being used in a real lunar mission. That's validation and visibility. Second, it positions Britain in the emerging space resource economy. Countries that understand the moon's geology first will have advantages in extraction, settlement, commerce.
What's the significance of ispace being Japanese?
It signals that space exploration is no longer just American or Soviet. It's global. A UK university working with a Japanese company, using Spanish and Scottish partners, funded by the British government—that's the new model. It's also diplomatic. Space cooperation builds relationships between nations.
What happens after the spectrometer lands and does its analysis?
The data comes back to Earth. Scientists study it. They identify resource-rich regions. Then future missions—landers, rovers, eventually humans—use that map to decide where to go and what to do. This mission is the first step in a longer conversation with the moon.