A Japanese private lunar lander, managed by the Tokyo-based company ispace, has gone silent during its descent to the moon, leaving its outcome uncertain. Initially, the mission appeared to be proceeding according to plan, as the lander left lunar orbit as expected. However, following its hour-long descent, the livestream of the landing attempt was abruptly cut off, and more than two hours later, ispace announced it had not yet re-established communication with the lander.
This mission marked a significant attempt by ispace after their previous lunar venture ended in failure two years ago, leading to the subsequent naming of the new lander ‘Resilience’. The Resilience lander is tasked with carrying a mini rover designed to collect lunar soil, along with a small toy house created by a Swedish artist, intended for placement on the moon.
The moon, once solely the domain of governmental agencies, has attracted private companies since 2019, though many attempts have faced setbacks. Launched in January from Florida, Resilience entered lunar orbit last month, sharing a ride with another spacecraft that successfully landed on the moon in March, making history as the first private entity to do so.
The landing site was chosen in the Mare Frigoris, a flatter area of the moon that poses fewer hazards than more treacherous regions. The ispace team planned for the lander to transmit images shortly after landing and to deploy the rover over the weekend. The rover, weighing merely 5kg, is designed to move cautiously, travelling at a speed of less than two centimetres per second, capable of covering a distance of up to one kilometre from the lander within the two-week daylight mission.
Takeshi Hakamada, the founder and CEO of ispace, referred to this mission as a crucial step towards future endeavours, with a larger lander projected for launch by 2027 in collaboration with NASA. Just minutes before the landing attempt, Hakamada expressed confidence in the mission, highlighting the lessons learned from their first experience and the extensive efforts made by engineers to ensure success this time.