Japan to Send Cultural Heritage Items to the Moon

JAKARTA (ANTARA) – Japanese national airline Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) is set to launch a service for transporting culturally significant items to the Moon, which are at risk of loss due to climate change, major natural disasters, and conflicts. According to Kyodo on Tuesday, May 26 local time, the service is a collaboration between JAL’s trading arm, Jalux Inc., and startup ispace Inc. The Trans-Lunar Heritage ARGO project will carry items such as regional specialties and company flagship products, with registration for transport slots beginning on Wednesday. The service will utilise a lunar lander scheduled for launch by ispace in 2028. The containers will measure approximately 20 centimetres in length and width, and 10 centimetres in height, with internal compartments divided into sections. The project emerges amid Japan’s expanding space business sector, partly driven by reduced launch costs. Senior manager at PwC Consulting LLC, Yosuke Enomoto, said, ‘Companies not yet involved in the space sector are seeking business opportunities by leveraging their own technologies.’ However, he noted that space travel remains expensive for the general public and that for such journeys to become widespread, safety must be ensured and technological advancements made to further reduce costs. The implementation of this programme will make JAL the world’s first airline to transport goods to the Moon.