Private lunar spacecraft captures stunning image of the Moon.
A Japanese commercial spacecraft is nearing its second attempt at a lunar landing, now flying laps around the moon. The company ispace entered lunar orbit more than a week ago, sending its Resilience lander soaring about 62 miles above the surface at its closest approach. For days, fans have requested images of the spacecraft to showcase its latest achievement. They finally released a new image on May 16. This image not only captures the spacecraft swooping by the moon but also highlights Tenacious, its accompanying micro rover, concealed under a cover in the lower right corner. A camera mounted on top of the lander took the photo.
“Hello from lunar orbit!” the company stated in a post on X.
If the Hakuto-R mission succeeds in landing, it will spend two weeks conducting experiments on the lunar surface before powering down for the extremely cold lunar night.
Credit: ispace infographic
Resilience was one of two spacecraft launched to the moon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in mid-January. Its travel companion, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander, took a faster route and touched down on March 2. While Firefly wasn’t the first private robotic lander to reach the surface, it was the first to do so upright and intact. In contrast, ispace’s lander, developed in partnership with Japan’s space agency JAXA, has taken a longer route to save on fuel, operating solo in space for the past four months. The Hakuto-R mission is gearing up for a landing near the center of Mare Frigoris at 3:24 p.m. ET on June 5 (June 6 in Japan). Livestream coverage will begin about one hour earlier, at 2:15 p.m. ET, with English translation.
This event will mark the company’s second attempt following a failed landing in April 2023, when the spacecraft ran out of fuel and crashed on the moon. “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,” said ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada in a statement. “We will continue to proceed with careful operations and thorough preparations to ensure the success of the lunar landing.”
Landing on the moon remains challenging, as demonstrated by numerous unsuccessful attempts. Although Firefly succeeded in March, another U.S. company, Intuitive Machines, encountered difficulties a week later, ending up on its side in a crater.
The moon’s exosphere provides virtually no drag for slowing a spacecraft as it approaches the ground, according to NASA. Furthermore, there are no GPS systems available to help guide a craft to its landing spot. Engineers must compensate for these challenges from 239,000 miles away. If the Hakuto-R mission lands successfully, it will conduct experiments on the lunar surface for two weeks before shutting down for the severe cold of the lunar night. Very little can endure temperatures of -270 degrees Fahrenheit during the darkness — including robots. Currently, Resilience is traveling between 2,000 and 4,200 mph. As it moves through space, company engineers are executing multiple flight correction maneuvers to adjust the spacecraft’s speed and orientation towards its landing target.
After the unsuccessful landing attempt two years ago, Yuichi Tsuda, a professor of astronautical science at Tokyo University, offered encouraging words to the flight controllers. “History can be made only by those who face challenges, and challenges will not be possible without taking a risk,” Tsuda noted. “The risk can be taken only by those who dream. So ispace teams, you are all excellent dreamers.”
