When space startup Ispace attempts its second lunar landing on June 6, CEO Takeshi Hakamada will be watching more than just another spacecraft attempt to touch down.
The 45-year-old founder of the firm will be witnessing the next chapter of a journey that began decades ago, in a childhood bedroom in Japan, where a boy obsessed with science fiction first dreamed of reaching for the stars.
“For me, the first time I really engaged with space was through ‘Star Wars,’” Hakamada said in an interview with The Japan Times. “I was around 9 or 10 when I saw the original trilogy on TV. I was really inspired by the cool starships and robots. If I look back, that was definitely the spark for me.”
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