Moon lander 'likely to have crashed', says Japan's ispace
Japan's private space company ispace has said its latest uncrewed moon lander has probably crashed onto the surface, two years after another unsuccessful touchdown attempt.
The Tokyo-based company declared the mission a failure on Saturday, several hours after communication was lost with the lander, named Resilience.
It follows its failed inaugural mission in 2023. CEO and founder Takeshi Hakamada issued an apology at a news conference.
"This is the second time that we were not able to land. So we really have to take it very seriously," he told reporters.
But he stressed that the company would press ahead with more lunar missions.
On Wednesday, ispace released footage from the Resilience lander circling the moon, ahead of Friday's planned landing.
Initial analysis of the mission failure suggests 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.
The Tokyo-based firm had hoped to follow in the steps of US companies Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace - which have already conducted successful, or partially successful, commercial landings.
Resilience was launched in January from Florida on a long, roundabout journey, and entered lunar orbit last month.
It shared a SpaceX ride with Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost, which reached the moon faster and became the first private entity to successfully land there in March.
Another US company, Intuitive Machines, arrived at the moon a few days later, although that lander skidded into a crater near the south pole and was declared dead within hours.
0:44
Resilience was targeting a flat area at the top of the moon, in a long, narrow region full of craters and ancient lava flows that stretches across the near side's northern tier.
On board was ispace's European-built rover - named Tenacious - with a high-definition camera and a shovel to scoop up some lunar dirt for NASA.
tiny, Swedish-style red cottage with white trim and a green door.
It was called the Moonhouse by creator Mikael Genberg and was supposed to be placed on the lunar surface.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Watch moment iconic car maker enters space race after successfully launching reusable rocket
Eliana Nunes Published: Invalid Date, THIS is the spectacular moment one of the world's largest car manufacturers successfully launched a reusable rocket. Honda R&D - the research and development arm of Honda Motor - landed a rocket for the first time on Tuesday - after it reached an altitude of nearly 1,000 feet. 4 The experimental reusable rocket reached an altitude of 890 feet during its test flight - staying aloft for 56.6 seconds. It landed just 14.6 inches from its target touchdown point at the carmaker's test facility in northern Japan, according to Honda. Weighing in at 2,890 pounds when fully fuelled (1,984 pounds dry), the rocket is 20.7 feet tall and measured 2.8 feet in diameter. Honda's rocket has become the first prototype rocket outside the US and China to pull off a flight like this. The company said the launch and landing test demonstrated "key technologies essential for rocket reusability, such as flight stability during ascent and descent, as well as landing capability". The Japanese car manufacturer first revealed in 2021 that it had been working on a rocket engine for at least two years. After six years of development, this successful test marked a major step in Honda's push into space innovation. But Honda is not alone in the race beyond Earth. Other car makers like Geely, GM, Hyundai-Kia, Toyota and Venturi are partnering with space tech companies. Unlike Honda and Venturi that have developed rockets or space vehicles, Toyota has been involved more in robotics and space exploration tech. Vid shows supersonic test launch in bid for 1hr cross-Atlantic flights in 5yrs Geely, GM and Hyundai-Kia are partnering with aerospace firms or investing in space tech startups - rather than independently developing rockets yet. It comes after talk of a merger between car rivals Nissan and Honda collapsed in February. But the door to collaboration remains wide open. Nissan's CEO Ivan Espinosa said in March that the company is "very open" to partnerships. The company's chief performance officer, Guillaume Cartier, said Nissan had "never stopped" talking with its Japanese rival, confirming that the two continue working towards a potential partnership. Espinosa, who officially took over on April 1, said his company faces up to five simultaneous crises - including a damaged brand, low morale and the execution of a sweeping turnaround. Speaking at a company event, he said: "The way we are seeing partners is broadly, not only thinking about cars but how to push Nissan into the next era of technology." Toshihiro Mibe has been the CEO of Honda Motor Co. since 2021.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Edinburgh-based research organisation receives £3.6m for AI health project
An Edinburgh-based research organisation has been awarded £3.6 million from Scottish Enterprise for a project that utilises artificial intelligence (AI) to improve medical scans and faster data analysis. Canon Medical Research Europe's (CMRE) new project will cost around £14 million in total, and is expected to benefit both patients and health services. It is hoped it will lead to AI-based smart solutions automating routine tasks, in turn speeding up patient scanning and allowing consultants to make quicker and better-informed decisions for those receiving treatment for illnesses such as cancer. The funding was announced at a recent meeting with president of CMRE Dr Ken Sutherland, Scottish Government Health Secretary Neil Gray and chief executive of Scottish Enterprise Adrian Gillespie ahead of a health event at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, taking place from June 23-26. The Health Secretary said: ' Scotland has a long-standing reputation for innovation in health and life sciences, and Canon Medical Research Europe exemplifies that strength. 'This investment in AI technology has the potential to transform the way we deliver healthcare by speeding up diagnosis, supporting our clinicians, and ultimately improving outcomes for patients. 'I'm proud to see Scottish expertise leading on such cutting-edge developments and look forward to showcasing this innovation on the world stage at Expo 2025 in Japan.' Dr Sutherland said: 'We have a strong focus on AI and automation with the goal of helping clinicians to diagnose and treat more patients. 'It makes me very proud to think that the innovation we create here in Scotland can benefit the people of Scotland and, through our parent company, the rest of the world.' Mr Gillespie said: 'This cutting-edge research project, led by Dr Sutherland and his team at Canon Medical Research Europe in Edinburgh, has the potential to be transformative for the NHS in Scotland and for health services around the world. 'Scotland's life sciences and healthtech industries deliver life-enhancing benefits to patients, while making an enormous contribution to our economy – the life sciences sector alone contributes almost £10.5 billion annually. 'That is also why we are taking a talented Scottish delegation of healthtech companies to Japan Expo to showcase what Scotland has to offer and to forge new connections that will deliver trade and healthcare opportunities.'
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Magnitude 6 earthquake strikes off coast of Hokkaido, Japan, GFZ says
June 21 (Reuters) - A Magnitude 6 earthquake struck off coast of Hokkaido, Japan on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said.
