Latest news with #Garan
UPI
4 days ago
- Science
- UPI
Japanese ispace craft had 'hard landing' in failed lunar mission
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center on January 15 while sending ispace's Resilience lander and Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander into space. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo June 5 (UPI) -- After losing contact with it for several hours, a privately owned Japanese company said its lunar lander had crashed into the surface of moon in what the company, ispace, confirmed was a failed lunar landing mission. Privately owned ispace was attempting a remotely controlled landing of its module, Resilience, on the moon Thursday afternoon, but confirmed Thursday night that, based on the trajectory and speed of the lander just prior to touchdown, it had likely crashed. "As a result, the lander was unable to decelerate sufficiently to reach the required speed for the planned lunar landing," a statement from the company explained. "Based on these circumstances, it is currently assumed that the lander likely performed a hard landing on the lunar surface." The company based its conclusion on data collected from a laser rangefinder, information that took longer than expected to return to mission controllers, which indicated that the Resilience was not operating properly. ispace attempted the moon landing at 3:17 EDT but lost contact shortly before touchdown. The mission proceeded as expected until losing contact with the lander immediately prior to touching down on the moon, ispace U.S. subsidiary chairman and former NASA astronaut Ron Garan told CNN. "I'm not seeing the telemetry," Garan said, "but I'm getting updates on my phone [and] everything was normal." It is very difficult for private-sector aerospace companies to develop the technology needed to successfully put a lander on the moon, he added. "The reason we are doing this is to learn," Garan said. The Resilience was scheduled to land on the moon's Mare Figoris region, which is located on the near side of the moon's northern hemisphere. The about 7.5-foot-tall lander contains a four-wheeled rover named Tenacious for exploring the lunar surface in the moon's unexplored northern region. The rover contains a high-definition camera, a shovel for collecting lunar samples for NASA and weighs about 11 pounds. It also contains a tiny red cottage that its builder, Mikael Genberg, named the Moonhouse, which the rover planned place on the lunar surface. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 15 launched the ispace lander to the moon along with a private Blue Ghost moon lander built by Firefly Aerospace, reported. The Blue Ghost touched down on the Mare Crisium region of the moon on March 2. The Resilience mission took much longer to reach the moon due to a low-energy transfer path that ispace chose for its lander, which arrived in orbit around the moon on May 6. The livestream is presented in English, but another livestream is available in Japanese. A similar ispace mission in April 2023 failed when its uncrewed lander crashed while trying to land in the moon's Atlas Crater. It was ispace's first attempt to put a lander on the moon. The mission is part of ispace's plan to colonize the moon by having people living on it by 2040, ABC News reported. The privately owned aerospace firm intends to build a city housing 1,000 people and would host thousands more who could visit as tourists. Officials at ispace also plan to land a much larger lander on the moon with assistance from NASA. That mission is scheduled to launch by 2027. This story continues to develop. Check back for updates.
UPI
4 days ago
- Science
- UPI
Ispace Resilience moon lander's status is unknown
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center on January 15 while sending ispace's Resilience lander and Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander into space. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo June 5 (UPI) -- Privately owned Japanese aerospace company ispace has lost communication with its Reliance lander after attempting a remotely controlled landing on the moon Thursday afternoon. Ispace attempted the moon landing at 3:17 EDT but lost contact with the lander and is trying to re-establish communications to determine its status. The mission proceeded as expected until losing contact with the Resilience lander immediately prior to touching down on the moon, ispace U.S. subsidiary chairman and former NASA astronaut Ron Garan told CNN. "I'm not seeing the telemetry," Garan said, "but I'm getting updates on my phone [and] everything was normal." It's very hard for private-sector aerospace companies to develop the technology needed to successfully put a lander on the moon, he added. "The reason we are doing this is to learn," Garan said. The Resilience was scheduled to land on the moon's Mare Figoris region, which is located on the near side of the moon's northern hemisphere. The about 7.5-foot-tall lander contains a four-wheeled rover named Tenacious for exploring the lunar surface in the moon's unexplored northern region. The rover contains a high-definition camera, a shovel for collecting lunar samples for NASA and weighs about 11 pounds. It also contains a tiny red cottage that its builder, Mikael Genberg, named the Moonhouse, which the rover will place on the moon's surface. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 15 launched the ispace lander to the moon along with a private Blue Ghost moon lander built by Firefly Aerospace, reported. The Blue Ghost touched down on the Mare Crisium region of the moon on March 2. The Resilience mission took much longer to reach the moon due to a low-energy transfer path that ispace chose for its lander, which arrived in orbit around the moon on May 6. The livestream is presented in English, but another livestream is available in Japanese. A similar ispace mission in April 2023 failed when its uncrewed lander crashed while trying to land in the moon's Atlas Crater. It was ispace's first attempt to put a lander on the moon. The mission is part of ispace's plan to colonize the moon by having people living on it by 2040, ABC News reported. The privately owned aerospace firm intends to build a city housing 1,000 people and would host thousands more who could visit as tourists. Officials at ispace also plan to land a much larger lander on the moon with assistance from NASA. That mission is scheduled to launch by 2027. This story continues to develop. Check back for updates.
Western Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Western Telegraph
Croft brothers inspire pupils at school with boxing journey
Ysgol Bro Preseli invited Ioan and Garan Croft to spend the day with primary and secondary students. The Crymych brothers, who trained at Cardigan Boxing Club, have represented Wales on major global stages, including the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. During their visit, the brothers observed health and well-being lessons with secondary pupils, offering insight into the importance of self-discipline, teamwork, and physical and mental well-being. With the primary pupils, they held a 'lively and inspiring' Q&A session, fielding questions about their training, challenges, and achievements. As part of a special school assembly, the brothers presented the school with a print of a portrait of themselves, painted by artist Meirion Jones from the Cardigan area. The artwork will be permanently displayed as a symbol of ambition and perseverance. Ysgol Bro Preseli headteacher, Rhonwen Morris, said: "Ioan and Garan's visit left a lasting impression on our learners. "As former pupils of Ysgol Bro Preseli and Ysgol y Frenni, we are incredibly proud of their journey and achievements. "The stunning portrait captures both brothers' characters perfectly, and we are honoured to have it displayed in our school. "Their story is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through dedication and pride in your roots." Garan won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, while Ioan reached the semi-finals.
