Latest news with #RESILIENCE
Mint
3 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Japanese spacecraft crashes into moon in 'hard landing,' says ispace
A private Japanese spacecraft crashed while attempting a touchdown on the Moon on Friday. The Tokyo-based company ispace declared the mission a failure several hours after communication was lost with the lander. This was ispace's second lunar landing attempt. The RESILIENCE lunar lander had begun a landing sequence in an attempt to make a soft touchdown in the Mare Frigoris ("Sea of Cold") region of the moon's northern hemisphere on June 6, 2025 (JST). Following the landing sequence, the Mission Control Center was unable to establish communications with the RESILIENCE lunar lander. In a statement posted on X, ispace said, "As of 8:00 a.m. [local time] on June 6, 2025, mission controllers have determined that it is unlikely that communication with the lander will be restored and therefore completing Success 9 is not achievable. It has been decided to conclude the mission." 'Given that there is currently no prospect of a successful lunar landing,' Takeshi Hakamada, Founder and CEO of ispace, said its 'top priority is to swiftly analyse the telemetry data we have obtained thus far and work diligently to identify the cause.' Ispace engineers at the HAKUTO-R Mission Control Centre in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, transmitted commands to execute the landing sequence at 3:13 am on June 6, 2025. The RESILIENCE lander then began the descent phase. The lander descended from an altitude of approximately 100 km to approximately 20 km, and then successfully fired its main engine as planned to begin deceleration. According to reports, communications ceased less than two minutes before the spacecraft's scheduled landing on the moon with a mini rover. "No data indicating a successful landing was received, even after the scheduled landing time had passed," the company added. A preliminary analysis indicated that the laser system for measuring the altitude did not work as planned, and the lander descended too fast, officials said. "Based on these circumstances, it is currently assumed that the lander likely performed a hard landing on the lunar surface,' the company said in a written statement. A 'hard landing' means Resilience hit the moon's surface faster than planned. It's unlikely it survived in any condition to proceed with its two-week mission, or deploy the small Tenacious rover built by the European Space Agency, reported. The mission had aimed to collect two lunar soil samples and sell them to NASA for $5,000. Though the samples would remain on the Moon, the symbolic transaction is meant to strengthen the US stance that commercial activity -- though not sovereign claims -- should be allowed on celestial bodies. To date, only five nations have achieved soft lunar landings: the Soviet Union, the United States, China, India, and Japan. On board the lander were several high-profile payloads: Tenacious, a Luxembourg-built micro rover; a water electrolyzer to split molecules into hydrogen and oxygen; a food production experiment; and a deep-space radiation probe. The rover also carried "Moonhouse," a model home designed by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg Two years ago, the company's first moonshot ended in a crash landing, giving rise to the name 'Resilience' for its successor lander. 'This is the second time that we were not able to land. So we really have to take it very seriously," Hakamadawas quote dby PTI as saying. He stressed that the company would press ahead with more lunar missions. Resilience carried a rover with a shovel to gather lunar dirt as well as a Swedish artist's toy-size red house for placement on the moon's dusty surface.
India Today
6 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Resilience, private Japanese spacecraft, to attempt daring Moon landing
Months after it launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket, Japan's ispace Resilience lander is ready to attempt a daring Moon ispace's RESILIENCE lander is scheduled to attempt a touchdown on the Moon on June 5, 2025, near the center of Mare Frigoris, also known as the Sea of Cold. This marks the culmination of Mission 2 in the company's ambitious SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon program, following a meticulously executed journey of over one million kilometers through deep LONG JOURNEY TO THE MOON Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, 2025, RESILIENCE was successfully deployed and began its months-long voyage using a low-energy transfer orbit—a fuel-efficient trajectory that included a lunar flyby and a series of complex deep-space May 7, 2025, the lander achieved a critical milestone by entering lunar orbit, following a main thruster burn lasting approximately nine minutes, the longest of the mission so then, ispace engineers at the HAKUTO-R Mission Control Center in Tokyo have been conducting final orbital adjustments and system checks in preparation for the descent. It carries a suite of scientific payloads, including a water electrolyser experiment. (Photo: ispace) advertisementWHAT IS RESILIENCE LANDER?RESILIENCE is a step forward for Japan's private space sector standing 2.3 meters tall and weighing 340 carries a suite of scientific payloads, including a water electrolyser experiment, an algae-based food production module, and a deep space radiation also houses a micro rover designed for in situ resource utilisation demonstrations, showing ispace's goal of enabling sustainable lunar exploration and commercial mission follows ispace's previous attempt in 2023, which ended in a crash from that experience, the RESILIENCE team has implemented upgrades and leveraged operational insights to improve mission Hakamada, Founder and CEO of ispace, expressed confidence in the team's preparations, stating, 'We have successfully completed maneuvers so far by leveraging the operational experience gained in Mission 1, and I am very proud of the crew for successfully completing the most critical maneuver and entering lunar orbit'.If successful, RESILIENCE will make not only make history for ispace but also strengthen Japan's position in the rapidly evolving commercial lunar sector, paving the way for future missions and expanded lunar infrastructure.
Business Wire
31-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
ispace Completes Success 8 of Mission 2 Milestones
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ispace, inc. (ispace) (TOKYO: 9348), a global lunar exploration company, announced today that the RESILIENCE lunar lander has successfully completed all orbital maneuvers while in lunar orbit and is now being prepared for its landing attempt on June 6, 2025. This marks the completion of Success 8 milestone of Mission 2 'SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon.' RESILIENCE conducted a lunar orbital control maneuver at 5:27 p.m. JST (08:27 UTC) on May 28, 2025, to move into a circular orbit around the Moon in accordance with the mission operation plan. The operation required an engine burn of approximately 10 minutes, the longest to date on Mission 2. Since then, the lander has been in a 100 km orbit around the Moon and completes a full orbit every 2 hours. After RESILIENCE completed the orbital control maneuver, ispace engineers in the Mission Control Center in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan worked to confirm the precise orbit in advance of the landing sequence. The RESILIENCE lander, which reached lunar orbit on May 7, 2025 (JST), orbited the moon in an elliptical orbit with a perilune (closest point to the moon) altitude of approximately 70 km and an apolune (farthest point from the moon) altitude of approximately 5,800 km. After performing three orbital control maneuvers, it reached a circular orbit around the moon at an altitude of approximately 100 km. A lunar landing is scheduled for no earlier than June 5, 2025 (UTC) (June 6, 2025, JST). The RESILIENCE lander is scheduled to begin descent from its current circular orbit. During the descent phase, the lander will automatically fire its main propulsion system to gradually decelerate and adjust its attitude, with the goal of achieving a soft landing on the lunar surface. 'Having completed eight of 10 mission milestones, RESILIENCE is now ready to attempt a historic landing on the Moon, carrying not only the payloads of our customers but also the hopes of our employees, their families, our partners and all of our supporters,' said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace. 'We have leveraged the operational experience gained in Mission 1 and during this current voyage to the Moon, and we are confident in our preparations for success of the lunar landing.' LANDING EVENT LIVE STREAM DETAILS ispace will host a global live stream event with coverage of RESILIENCE's landing attempt on the Moon on June 6, 2025 (JST) (June 5, 2025, depending on location). The coverage will be broadcast in Japanese with English translation provided. Please see links below to watch. Before the lunar orbit insertion, RESILIENCE completed all deep space orbital maneuvers on April 24, 2025, at 10:00 UTC, returning the lander from deep space near to the Moon to complete the orbit injection. At its furthest distance, RESILIENCE was 1.1 million kilometers from Earth. Before that, RESILIENCE completed a lunar flyby, verifying operation of the main propulsion system, as well as the related guidance, control, and navigation system. Following the flyby, the lander continued its deep space journey, spending approximately two months in a low-energy transfer orbit. RESILIENCE was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 6:11:39 UTC, Jan. 15, 2025, and was successfully deployed from the rocket at 7:44:24 UTC. The RESILIENCE lander has completed the Earth orbit as well as the lunar flyby, known as Success 5. It has completed the low energy transfer orbit with completion of all deep space and lunar orbit maneuvers is preparing for the landing sequence. Mission 2 Milestones ispace has released a transparent set of criteria known as Mission 2 Milestones between launch and landing and aims to achieve the success criteria established for each of these milestones. The results from this mission as part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, will be weighed and evaluated against the criteria and lessons learned will be incorporated into future missions already in development. Mission 2 Payloads On board the RESILIENCE lunar lander are commercial customer payloads including: Water electrolyzer equipment: From Takasago Thermal Engineering Co. Food production experiment: A self-contained module from Euglena Co. Deep space radiation probe: Developed by the Department of Space Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan Commemorative alloy plate: Developed by Bandai Namco Research Institute, Inc. and modeled after 'Charter of the Universal Century' from the animation Mobile Suit Gundam UC TENACIOUS micro rover: Developed by ispace-EUROPE, this rover will explore the landing site, collect lunar regolith, and relay data back to the lander. It will be equipped with a forward-mounted HD camera and a shovel. Moonhouse: A model house by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg that will be mounted on the rover. The RESILIENCE lander will serve as a cultural artifact, carrying a UNESCO memory disk that preserves linguistic and cultural diversity. ispace is leveraging its global presence through its three business units in Japan, the U.S., and Luxembourg, for the simultaneous development of upcoming missions. Mission 2, featuring the RESILIENCE lunar lander, is led by ispace Japan and was launched on Jan. 15, 2025. It is currently scheduled to land on the Moon on June 6, 2025 (JST). During the mission, the TENACIOUS micro rover, developed by ispace Europe SA, is set to be deployed on the lunar surface to conduct a technological demonstration of regolith extraction as well as mobility on the lunar surface. Team Draper Commercial Mission 1 is also known as ispace's Mission 3. Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is expected to launch in 2027. The company's fourth mission, which will utilize the Series 3 lander, currently being designed in Japan, is scheduled to be launched by 2027. About ispace, inc. ( ispace, a global lunar resource development company with the vision, 'Expand our planet. Expand our future.', specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States with more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.
Korea Herald
22-05-2025
- Science
- Korea Herald
The Moonhouse: The First Ever House on the Moon – A Swedish Red Cottage Set to Land June 5
STOCKHOLM, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- History is about to be made. On June 5 at 09:24 PM CET, a tiny red house — a traditional Swedish cottage — is set to become the first house ever to land on the Moon. After traveling through space for more than four months aboard the Japanese lunar lander RESILIENCE, the artwork known as The Moonhouse now enters its most critical phase: a soft landing in Mare Frigoris — the Sea of Cold. This unique fusion of art and technology began with a bold idea. In 1999, Swedish artist Mikael Genberg imagined placing a simple red house on the Moon. "Not as a scientific outpost or political symbol," says Genberg, "but as a quiet reminder of humanity, imagination, and home. A beacon of hope — and an eye turned toward Earth, the pale blue dot." Since then, the idea has passed through the hands of engineers, dreamers, and supporters who, together with Genberg, have carried it forward across decades, continents, and now deep space. Landing on the Moon remains one of the most difficult feats in spaceflight. ispace's first attempt in 2023 did not touchdown successfully, and this second mission demands flawless precision. But even with a successful landing, the mission's most delicate moment is still to come. Mounted on the front of the lunar rover TENACIOUS is the house itself. Once the lander touches down, the rover will be deployed to scout the Moon's surface for the perfect site. "The hardest part starts now. The Moonhouse must find its place on the Moon — and then make its final leap, just 8 centimeters, powered only by gravity. We'll be holding our breath until we see the images," says The Moonhouse technical lead Emil Vinterhav. "It's a delicate maneuver, done by remote control from 400,000 km away," says Antoine Bocquier, Rover Pilot and Senior Space System Engineer at ispace. "I will operate the rover to identify a location that is both stable and symbolically meaningful." Only then — when the house stands alone on the Moon — will The Moonhouse be fully realized. "This is more than a work of art. It is a 26-year journey of persistence, collaboration, and belief — a red cottage that dares to dream on the Moon, forever." — Hans Elis Johansson, Communications Director Contact: Hans Elis Johansson +46 70 5136035 Mikael Genberg info@ +46707755393 Emil Vinterhav +46705551869
Wales Online
22-05-2025
- Science
- Wales Online
A little red house is set to land on the Moon within days - they call it The Moonhouse
A little red house is set to land on the Moon within days - they call it The Moonhouse The project has been in the pipeline since 1999 and the house will be carried on a lunar rover before making its own 8cm touchdown on the surface The Moonhouse (Image: The Moonhouse ) A traditional Swedish cottage is set to become the first 'house' to ever land on the moon next month. On June 5, at 9.24pm CET, the artwork known as The Moonhouse, a tiny red house which has been travelling through space for more than four months aboard the lunar lander RESILIENCE, will enter its most critical phase, a soft landing in the Mare Frigoris region — the sea of cold. In 1999, Swedish artist Mikael Genberg envisioned placing a classic red house with white corners on the moon. Since then, a diverse group of "engineers, dreamers, and passionate believers" have kept the vision alive — across time and space, across the Earth, and now into deep space. Love dreamy Welsh homes? Sign up to our newsletter here . "It's not about science or politics," says Genberg. "It's about reminding us of what we all share — our humanity, our imagination, and our longing for home. "A red house gazing back at the Pale Blue Dot, as Carl Sagan once described our fragile planet." Article continues below Despite decades of technological advancement, landing on the Moon remains one of the most complex challenges in spaceflight. Japanese ispace is now undertaking its second mission after an unsuccessful attempt in 2023. The project demands extreme precision — and even with a successful landing, the most delicate moment will still lie ahead. Mounted on the front of the lunar rover, TENACIOUS, is the artwork itself. Once the lander touches down, the rover will be deployed to scout the moon's surface for the perfect site. The Moonhouse then must find its place — and perform its own little moon landing: a drop of just eight centimetres, powered only by gravity. "We'll be holding our breath until the images reach us," said Emil Vinterhav, technical lead for The Moonhouse. Antoine Bocquier, rover pilot and senior space system engineer at ispace, said: "It's a highly delicate manoeuvre, remotely operated from 400,000 kilometres away. I will guide the rover to a location that is both stable and symbolically meaningful." Communications director, Hans Elis Johansson, who has been part of the project from the beginning, added: "This is more than a work of art. It is a 26-year journey of persistence, collaboration, and belief — a red little house that dares to dream. On the moon. Forever." Article continues below
