JALUX Inc. (JALUX), the trading company of Japan Airlines (JAL), and ispace, inc. (ispace), a global lunar exploration company, have announced that the two companies have signed a payload service agreement (PSA) for ispace’s next lunar landing mission, Mission3, currently scheduled for 2028.
Under the agreement, Japan Airlines and JALUX will begin selling payload transport capacity to private companies and local governments on 27 May, 2026, for delivery to the lunar surface.
In November 2025, ispace and three JAL Group companies (JAL, JALUX, and JAL Engineering) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore collaboration in the fields of lunar transportation and operations. This PSA marks the first step in the concrete implementation of that collaboration. Utilizing the payload transport capacity, the JAL Group is launching the “ARGO PROJECT,” an initiative to pass on Earth’s culture on the Moon for future generations, utilizing ispace lunar landers.
The ARGO Project
Officially named “The ARGO Trans-Lunar Heritage Project,” and embodying the concept of “The Ark Relaying for Generations Onward,” this project is inspired by the constellation Argo Navis, which represents a great sailing ship. It aims to pass on precious cultural heritage and human activities to future lunar inhabitants.
In the rapidly changing world, there is a constant risk that precious cultural artifacts and ways of life could be suddenly lost. The lunar environment offers a location to protect and preserve these valuable cultural assets until the day they are opened by future generations.
JAL and JALUX serve as the project’s two main organizers. JALUX will be responsible for the dedicated lunar transport container, “Möbius Ark,” including soliciting items for inclusion and developing the dedicated container. The transportation container designmeasures approximately 20 cm × 20 cm × 10 cm, features internal compartments, and uses materials capable of withstanding the lunar environment to protect the contents.
JAL will collaborate with local governments and companies throughout Japan to collect items that reflect modern culture, such as regional specialsities and products representative of local businesses. ispace will serve as the transporter of the specialized container, carrying the cultural artefacts to the Moon’s surface.
This marks the JAL Group’s first venture of this kind, and the “Möbius Ark” container will be photographed once it reaches the lunar surface.
Building on more than 70 years of history in air transportation, the JAL Group is supporting the development of a new transportation network to the Moon. Together with partner companies and local governments, the goal is a society where space transportation becomes more accessible through missions like this to pass on culture to future generations.
