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Japan’s Ispace Moon Mission Ends in Crash Landing Again

Japan’s ispace lost contact with its Resilience lander during descent, marking its second failed attempt to land on the moon.

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Japan’s Ispace Moon Mission Ends in Crash Landing Again

A private Japanese moon mission failed again. On Friday, Tokyo-based company Ispace lost contact with its lunar lander during its final descent. As a result, the company confirmed the mission had failed.

Communication Lost Moments Before Landing

Initially, everything appeared normal. The lander named Resilience was approaching the surface. However, communication suddenly stopped less than two minutes before touchdown. Despite attempts to reconnect, flight controllers received no response.

Eventually, they declared the mission over.

Company Reacts to the Setback

CEO Takeshi Hakamada apologized to all who supported the mission. “This is the second time that we were not able to land. So we really have to take it very seriously,” he said. He added, “Engineers did everything they possibly could.”

Nevertheless, he said the company would keep moving forward. He described this attempt as a “stepping stone” for future lunar projects.

Early Findings Point to Altitude Error

According to ispace, a sensor malfunction likely caused the crash. The laser system that measures altitude failed. Consequently, the lander descended too quickly.

The company explained, “Based on these circumstances, it is currently assumed that the lander likely performed a hard landing on the lunar surface.”

Second Crash in Two Years

This marks ispace’s second failure. In 2022, their first lander also crashed. As a result, they named this new lander “Resilience” to show determination.

The team hoped to prove they had learned from past mistakes. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

Mission Included Technology and Art

In addition to its scientific goal, the mission had artistic elements. The Resilience lander carried a tiny rover named Tenacious. The rover had a shovel, a high-definition camera, and an art piece—a small red house called the Moonhouse created by a Swedish artist.

Weighing just 11 pounds, the rover could travel slowly in circles near the lander. It was designed to operate for two weeks—the length of lunar daylight.

Private Moon Missions Face Challenges

Since 2019, private companies have entered the space race. However, most have failed to land successfully. So far, success remains rare.

Resilience launched in January from Florida on a SpaceX rocket. Notably, it shared its journey with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost. Blue Ghost reached the moon first in March and landed successfully.

Shortly after that, Intuitive Machines also reached the moon. However, their lander tipped into a crater and quickly failed.

Targeting a Safer Spot

Unlike others, ispace aimed for a safer region. They selected Mare Frigoris, also called the Sea of Cold. This area, located in the moon’s northern zone, has flat terrain and fewer boulders.

The lander was supposed to send photos soon after landing. Then, it would deploy the rover over the weekend.

Costs and Future Plans

While ispace did not reveal exact costs, officials said this mission cost less than the $100 million spent on the first. Meanwhile, chief engineer Jeremy Fix admitted, “We do not have infinite funds.” Therefore, the company knows repeated failures are unsustainable.

Even so, Hakamada said they plan a larger mission by 2027. That one will involve NASA.

More Companies to Attempt Moon Landings

Two more U.S. companies also aim to land on the moon by year’s end. These include Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Astrobotic Technology.

Previously, Astrobotic’s lander missed the moon and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Governments Still Lead in Space Success

For decades, only governments reached the moon. So far, five countries have landed robotic missions: the U.S., Russia, China, India, and Japan. Among them, only the U.S. has sent astronauts—12 walked the moon from 1969 to 1972.

Looking ahead, NASA plans to send four astronauts around the moon next year. Later, a crewed moon landing could follow, with SpaceX’s Starship playing a key role. Similarly, China aims to land astronauts by 2030.

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