Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Japan’s ispace launches historic first commercial Moon lander

Privately-funded explorer carried by SpaceX rocket aims to touch down on the Atlas Crater in April.

A Japanese space startup has launched its own private lander to the Moon aboard a SpaceX rocket, marking a significant step towards what would be a historic first, both for the nation and a private company.

The Tokyo-based ispace Inc’s HAKUTO-R mission took off without incident from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday after two postponements caused by inspections of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The company designed its craft to use minimal fuel to save money and leave more room for cargo.

It is taking a slow, low-energy path to the Moon, flying 1.6 million km (one million miles) from Earth before looping back and making a planned landing by the end of April.

By contrast, NASA’s Orion crew capsule with test dummies took five days to reach the Moon last month. The lunar flyby mission is anticipated to end on Sunday with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.


Aiming for the Atlas Crater


The ispace craft aims to put a small NASA satellite into lunar orbit to search for water deposits before touching down in the Atlas Crater, which lies in the northeastern section of the Moon’s near side and measures more than 87km (54 miles) across and just over 2km (1.2 miles) deep.

The M1 lander will deploy two robotic rovers, a two-wheeled, orange-sized device from Japan’s JAXA space agency and a four-wheeled unit made by the United Arab Emirates, known as the Explorer Rashid, after the Dubai royal family patriarch.

It will also be carrying an experimental solid-state battery made by NGK Spark Plug Co, a Japanese-based spark plug company.

The national space agencies of the United States, Russia and China have achieved soft landings on Earth’s nearest neighbour in the past half century, but Japan has not nor have any private companies.

Mission success would also represent a milestone in space cooperation between Japan and the US at a time when China is becoming increasingly competitive and rides on Russian rockets are no longer available in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The company hopes the HAKUTO-R project – whose name refers to the white rabbit that Japanese folklore suggests lives on the Moon – will be the first of many deliveries of government and commercial payloads.

It has a contract with NASA to ferry payloads to the Moon from 2025 and is aiming to build a permanently staffed lunar colony by 2040.

The ispace lander will aim for the Atlas Crater on the northeastern section of the Moon’s near side


‘The dawn of the Lunar economy’


Sunday also marked the 50th anniversary of the astronauts’ last lunar landing by Apollo 17’s Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on December 11, 1972.

Takeshi Hakamada, ispace’s founder and CEO, said NASA’s Apollo moonshots were all “about the excitement of the technology”.

Now, he noted in the SpaceX launch webcast, “it’s the excitement of the business”.

“This is the dawn of the lunar economy … Let’s go to the Moon,” Hakamada said.

Liftoff had originally been scheduled for two weeks ago but was delayed by SpaceX for extra rocket checks.

Eight minutes after launch, the recycled first-stage booster landed back at Cape Canaveral under a near-full Moon, the double sonic booms echoing through the night.

Founded in 2010, ispace was among the finalists in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition requiring a successful landing on the Moon by 2018. The lunar rover built by ispace never launched.

Another finalist, an Israeli nonprofit called SpaceIL, managed to reach the Moon in 2019. But instead of landing gently, the spacecraft Beresheet slammed into the Moon and was destroyed.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Ontario Manufacturers Warn U.S. Tariffs Could Create Economic 'Ghost Town'
UK and EU Reach Landmark Post-Brexit Deal to Reset Relations
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Trump Demands Probe into Kamala Harris for Paying Celebs to Fake Endorsements
At Age 92, the World’s Oldest President Has No Succession Plan — and That Could Spark a Crisis
U.S. Concerns Mount Over Chinese 'Kill Switch' Components Found in Solar Power Infrastructure
Bipartisan Criticism Surrounds Trump's Cryptocurrency Ventures
Diplomatic Efforts on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Mexican Navy Ship Collides with Brooklyn Bridge, Injuries Reported
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
U.S. and Philippine Forces Test High-Powered Microwave Weapons in Joint Exercise
China Unveils Advanced AI Surveillance Tools at 12th Police Equipment Expo
Japan's Three Major Banks Report Record High Net Profits for Second Consecutive Year
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
US and EU Make Progress in Trade Talks, While Vietnam Negotiations Also Advance
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial: Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura Testifies About Alleged Abuse
Former Wales Rugby Star Jamie Roberts to Pursue Medical Career
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
Passenger Travels Under Wrong Identity on British Airways Flight
Former FBI Director James Comey Questioned by Secret Service Over Social Media Post
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
After 108 Years: Moody’s Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Russia and Ukraine Hold First Direct Peace Talks in Three Years — But No Breakthrough Yet
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
KREMLIN has just approved Senator ALEXANDER " THE EXPERIMENT" KARELIN, of Novosibrisk, as Chief Negotiator at the Meeting in ISTANBUL with Ukraine & USA.
Shocking Footage Released: Diddy Caught Dragging Cassie in Brutal Hotel Hallway Assault
Starlink Now Profitable: SpaceX Hits Major Milestone with $11.8 Billion in Revenue
Portuguese Right-Wing Leader Collapses During Campaign Rally
A Pakistani imam in Italy gave a sermon stating that every Muslim should fight the infidels or face ‘catastrophic consequences’.
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
EU Court Orders Disclosure of von der Leyen’s Texts with Pfizer CEO Over €35 Billion Vaccine Deal
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
Mexican Influencer Valeria Márquez Killed During Livestream in Suspected Femicide
This man went to take $5,000 out his own bank account and was arrested for it
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
CIA Files Reveal Klaus Barbie's Role in Bolivian Drug Trade and Dictatorship Support
Daughter of crypto boss escapes Paris kidnap in latest in series of attacks
U.S. FDA to Remove Oral Fluoride Supplements for Children Amid Gut Health Concerns
Kim Kardashian Testifies in Paris Robbery Trial, Tells Gang Leader: 'I Forgive You'
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Challenges Facing EU Foreign Policy Amidst Diverging Interests
Reports Reveal Alarming Cognitive Decline in Biden Prior to Election Withdrawal
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
×