ispace inc, a space exploration robotics company, has signed a long-term collaboration agreement with Swedish mining and infrastructure company Epiroc for the contribution of technology and solutions for lunar missions. Both ispace and its Luxembourg-based subsidiary ispace Europe S.A were part of this agreement.

The companies will jointly develop technology and solutions for ispace’s exploratory lunar missions that aim to study the viability of the moon’s environment and its resources for supporting human life. The solutions are slated to be usable as early as 2024.

As a part of the agreement, Epiroc will provide equipment for space exploration including drill rigs, excavation and construction equipment, and tools for underground applications.

Analyst QuickTake: At the time of writing, ispace is 114 days into its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) and has successfully completed seven out of the 10 mission milestones it set. M1 is the first privately-led Japanese lunar mission that is planning on performing a soft landing on the lunar surface. At its current pace, ispace is on a path to beat both Astrobotic Technology and Intuitive Machines for privately-led lunar missions. The partnership with Epiroc is aptly timed with Mission 2 (M2), set to launch in 2024 where the company will deploy a rover for lunar surface exploration and data collection.