Will Japan’s Second Lunar Mission Face Another Setback? Insights on the Latest Attempt to Reach the Moon

After an ambitious attempt to land its spacecraft on the moon, ispace has faced another setback. The Tokyo-based company had hoped its uncrewed vehicle, Resilience, would make history as the first non-US commercial lander to successfully reach the lunar surface. However, after a scheduled landing on Thursday, communication was lost, leaving the mission’s outcome uncertain.

This attempt follows a similar failure earlier this year with ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1, where a software glitch led the vehicle to think it had landed safely when it had not. The drama of lost communication in both cases raises concerns about the challenges of navigating lunar landings.

Resilience launched earlier this year from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Falcon 9 rocket, sharing the flight with another lander called Blue Ghost, which successfully touched down on March 2, 2023. The failure of Resilience is a big blow to ispace’s plans to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon, a vision that includes a future lunar city for thousands of residents.

According to ispace’s CEO, Takeshi Hakamada, this lunar initiative aims to connect the economies of Earth and the moon, contributing to sustainable living on our planet. Part of the mission included deploying a small European rover named Tenacious, designed to search for signs of water or ice on the moon. This quest is essential, as water is vital for any long-term human presence.

NASA has an agreement with ispace, providing $5,000 for lunar regolith samples to support its exploration goals, which include returning humans to the moon by 2025. Exploring the moon also fits into global ambitions; five countries— the US, Russia, China, India, and Japan— have succeeded in sending robotic missions to the moon, yet commercial ventures like ispace face higher rates of failure compared to these national programs.

In a unique twist, the Tenacious rover was set to carry a quirky artwork—a small red house designed by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg. This piece was meant to symbolize curiosity and belonging amidst the vastness of space.

While ispace’s failures are discouraging, they are part of a broader narrative in the space exploration industry. Historical comparisons reveal that the early days of spaceflight were filled with challenges. Perseverance was critical then, as it is now. As the industry grows, companies will inevitably learn from both successes and failures.

As we watch these developments unfold, it’s essential to look out for updates on future missions. ispace aims to enhance its lunar efforts, with plans for a larger rover launch in 2027. For now, the lunar dreams of many remain an intriguing reminder of our quest for knowledge beyond our planet.



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