The surface of the moon as captured from orbit prior to the crash
ISPACE SMBC X Hakuto-R Venture Moon
On June 5th at 7:13 PM, a Japanese space endeavor aiming to be the third private lunar landing failed as ISPACE’s Resilience lander succumbed on the moon’s surface.
The lander began its descent from around 20 km above the moon, but ISPACE’s mission control quickly lost communication after the probe activated its main engine for final descent, receiving no further signals.
The company announced that the laser tool used to gauge the distance to the surface seemed to malfunction, leading to inadequate slowing of the lander and likely resulting in a collision.
“Given the absence of a successful lunar landing at this time, our top priority is to analyze the telemetry data collected so far and diligently investigate the cause,” stated ISPACE CEO Mr. Takeshi.
Had it succeeded, Resilience would have marked the second private moon landing of the year and the third overall, making it the first non-U.S. company to land on the moon after ISPACE’s prior attempt, the Hakuto-R mission, failed in 2023.
The Resilience Lander embarked on its lunar journey aboard a SpaceX rocket on January 15th, alongside Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander. While the Blue Ghost successfully landed on March 2, Resilience took a more circuitous route, moving into deeper space before returning on May 6 to enter lunar orbit. This complex trajectory was essential for targeting the challenging northern plain called Male Frigolis, which had not been surveyed by previous lunar missions.
Equipped with six experiments, the lander included a device for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, a module for algae-based food production, and a radiation monitor for deep space. Additionally, it housed a five-kilogram rover named Tenesial, designed to explore and capture images of the moon during the two weeks that Resilience was set to operate.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
