Japan's ispace Moon landing Live: Resilience spacecraft to begin descent shortly
'I am very proud to announce that once again, on June 6, 2025, JST, ispace will attempt a historic landing on the Moon as part of Mission 2. Our goal is to build the cislunar economy, one in which the Moon and Earth are economically and socially connected. We view the success of the lunar landing as merely a steppingstone toward that goal. We strongly believe that this endeavor and its long-term success will contribute to making life on Earth sustainable for all humanity," Takeshi Hakamada, ispace Founder & CEO said.
Resilience has travelled approximately 1.1 million kilometres to get to the Moon. That's more than three times the distance between Earth and the Moon. "After months of preparation and precision flying, the final hour is here. ispace crew in Japan and Luxembourg are ready," says isapce.
The Resilience spacecraft will perform a short-duration de-orbit insertion burn to bring it closer to the lunar surface before landing sequence begins.
The Resilience spacecraft also carries a 5 kg rover, named Tenacious, in the payload bay at the top of the lander, with a deployment device to set the rover on the lunar surface. The rover is 26 cm tall, 31.5 cm wide, and 54 cm long. It is built of carbon-fiber reinforced plastics. It has a forward mounted HD camera. Communications with the ground will be transmitted through the lander. A shovel mounted on front of the rover will be used to collect a lunar sample, which will be photographed by the HD camera.
The decision to target Mare Frigoris is strategic. Unlike the rugged Atlas crater, where ispace's first lander crashed, Mare Frigoris offers a flatter, more navigable terrain, which increases the chances of a safe landing.
According to ispace, the site was chosen for its 'flexibility,' providing a broad, relatively smooth area that is less risky for touchdown. Additionally, the location offers extended periods of sunlight and uninterrupted communication with Earth—two critical factors for the lander's operations and the success of its scientific payloads.
Landing in Mare Frigoris also represents a milestone in lunar exploration, as it would be the most northerly landing ever attempted on the Moon.
The spacecraft will attempt a brave landing at a site called Mare Frigoris, or the 'Sea of Cold.'
Mare Frigoris is a vast, dark basaltic plain in the Moon's northern hemisphere, stretching over 1,400 kilometers in diameter.
Its Latin name translates to 'Sea of Cold,' reflecting its location in the Moon's far north, just above the prominent Mare Imbrium and east of Mare Serenitatis.
The region is geologically significant, with surface materials dating back to different lunar epochs, making it a target of interest for scientific study.
Resilience (Hakuto Mission 2) is an ispace (Japan) lunar lander and rover mission planned as a follow-on to the 2022 Mission 1. The mission launched on 15 January 2025 on a Falcon 9 booster from Cape Canaveral, along with the CLPS Blue Ghost mission.
It separated and deployed successfully approximately 90 minutes after launch. It reached the Moon after a 4 month low-energy trajectory involving a lunar flyby.
It went into lunar orbit May 6.
The Resilience spacecraft is currently in an orbit just 100 kilometres above the Moon. The spacecraft has been slowly lowering its orbit since its insertion into the lunar orbit just a few days ago.
Japan's ispace mission control team will shortly begin the landing sequence to initiate the descent procedure for the spacecraft.
2 hours until we attempt our second lunar landing.
Our next dose of mission trivia: The Deep Space Radiation Probe (DSRP) from National Central University, Taiwan, is hitching a ride to the Moon.
Its job? Measure radiation levels and detect cosmic disturbances en route.… pic.twitter.com/zQB0uEr7mw
— ispace (@ispace_inc) June 5, 2025
Welcome to the India Today LIVE Blog as we bring you all the real-time updates from the Moon this time.
Yes, you read that right. Moon!!
Japan's private company ispace is all set to attempt a daring landing attempt on the Moon.
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