What's happened
Ispace's lunar lander, Resilience, lost contact moments before its scheduled touchdown on the moon, marking the company's second failed attempt to achieve a soft landing. The mission aimed to deploy a rover and collect lunar soil samples but ended in silence from mission control after the descent.
What's behind the headline?
Mission Overview
- Ispace's Resilience was designed to land in Mare Frigoris, a relatively flat area on the moon's northern hemisphere.
- The lander was to deploy the Tenacious rover, which would collect lunar soil samples for NASA.
Implications of Failure
- This failure raises questions about the viability of private lunar exploration, especially for ispace, which has now faced two significant setbacks.
- The company’s CEO, Takeshi Hakamada, emphasized the need to learn from failures, but repeated failures could jeopardize future funding and partnerships.
Future Prospects
- Ispace plans to launch a larger lander by 2027 with NASA's involvement, but the financial sustainability of such missions is in question.
- The failure may impact international collaborations, particularly with European partners involved in the Tenacious rover project, which was supported by the European Space Agency (ESA).
What the papers say
According to Al Jazeera, ispace's CEO Takeshi Hakamada stated, "We have to take seriously what happened," following the loss of contact with Resilience. The Guardian noted that the mission was intended to be a stepping stone towards a sustainable human presence on the moon, with ambitious plans for a lunar city by 2040. Meanwhile, TechCrunch highlighted the significance of the Tenacious rover, which was set to become the first European-made rover on the moon, emphasizing the collaborative efforts behind its development. The New York Times pointed out that this mission was crucial for ispace's long-term goals, as it aimed to establish a profitable business model in lunar exploration.
How we got here
Ispace, a Tokyo-based company, previously attempted a moon landing in 2023, which ended in a crash. Resilience was launched in January 2025 as part of the Hakuto-R Mission 2, aiming to become the first non-US private lander to successfully touch down on the moon.
Go deeper
- What were the goals of the Resilience mission?
- How does this failure impact future lunar exploration?
- What is the significance of the Tenacious rover?
Common question
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What does ispace's failed moon landing mean for future lunar missions?
The recent failure of ispace's lunar lander Resilience has raised significant concerns about the future of private space exploration. As the commercial lunar race heats up, many are left wondering how these setbacks will impact upcoming missions and the overall viability of private companies in space. Below are some common questions and answers regarding the implications of this failure.
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Why Did Ispace's Lunar Lander Fail Again?
Ispace's recent lunar lander mission, Resilience, ended in failure just moments before touchdown, marking the company's second unsuccessful attempt at a soft landing on the moon. This raises questions about the challenges of lunar exploration and the future of private space missions. Below, we explore the reasons behind this failure and its implications for upcoming missions.
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