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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Anthony Cuthbertson

SpaceX agrees to send half a tonne of equipment to the Moon

A general view of a SpaceX building and Starship rocket in Starbase, Texas, on 11 June, 2026 - (Reuters)

SpaceX has made a deal with a Japanese startup to send half a tonne of equipment to the Moon in an attempt to supercharge the lunar economy.

The $50 million (£37m) agreement with Tokyo-based ispace relies on SpaceX’s Starship megarocket, which is currently being developed to help return astronauts to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

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