Lunar module mission fails

TOKYO (EFE).—The Japanese company ispace has concluded its second lunar mission after failing to communicate with the “Resilience” lander, which was attempting to land on the moon early yesterday morning.

The spacecraft, which sought to become the first privately owned Japanese and Asian spacecraft to reach the Moon, began its descent as planned, but telemetry was lost before landing.

"At 8:00 a.m. local time on June 6, mission controllers determined that reestablishing communications with the lander is unlikely," the company said in a statement.

“It has been decided to conclude the mission,” he added.

The lander began its sequence from an altitude of 100 kilometers and descended to 20 before firing its main engine to decelerate.

The Hakuto-R mission control center in Nihombashi, Tokyo, observed the module's near-vertical behavior before losing contact.

According to subsequent analysis, the laser rangefinder exhibited delays in measuring the distance to the lunar surface, which prevented proper speed reduction. "It is assumed that the lander likely made a hard landing," iSpace reported.

Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada said the team will now focus on analyzing the data obtained.

"Our top priority is to work diligently to identify the cause," he said. Hakamada called the outcome "disappointing" and publicly apologized.

Around 500 people watched the live broadcast from the company's headquarters in Tokyo.

The operation had raised expectations after a previous failure in April 2023.

The “Resilience” carried the European microrover “Tenacious” and other scientific equipment.

The firm announced it plans a new attempt in 2027: "We want to catch up with U.S. companies as soon as possible," Hakamada said. So far, only U.S. companies have successfully descents.