Ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 Lander Crashes on the Moon?

Ispace, a Japanese space company, attempted to make history by becoming the first private company to land on the Moon. Unfortunately, the mission failed as the company lost contact with its robotic spacecraft, the Hakuto-R Mission 1 Lander while attempting to land on the near side of the Moon at Atlas Crater.

A model of Chinese Mars rover Zhurong, part of China’s Tianwen-1 space mission, is seen displayed at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China Sept. 28, 2021. (Reuters/Aly Song/File Photo)

What Happened?

The lander was scheduled to touch down on the surface of the Moon at approximately 1:40 a.m. JST. Still, communication with the Mission Control Center was lost as of 8:00 a.m. JST on April 26, 2023. The lander was in a vertical position as it carried out the final approach to the lunar surface. Still, no data indicated a touchdown shortly after the scheduled landing time. The estimated remaining propellant reached the lower threshold. Shortly afterward, the descent speed rapidly increased, suggesting that the lander landed hard on the Moon’s surface.

Ryo Ujiie, chief technology officer of Ispace Inc., wipes his tears during a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, on April 26, 2023. (Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Ispace engineers are working on a detailed analysis of the telemetry data acquired until the end of the landing sequence. The company will continue to make the most of the data and know-how acquired during the operation through Success 8, including aspects of Success 9, even though the milestone of successfully landing on the Moon and establishing communications has yet to be achievable.

The Significance of the Mission

Ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 was a significant achievement for private space companies attempting lunar exploration. While the mission did not reach its ultimate goal, it accomplished many milestones that will provide valuable lessons for future lunar missions.

Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada said that he was proud of the result and that the company would apply lessons learned from the mission to its following two missions. The company aims to improve the technological maturity of Mission 2 in 2024 and Mission 3 in 2025.

The Future of Lunar Exploration

Ispace’s mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Service Program (CLPS), which aims to provide cheaper transportation of scientific instruments and equipment to the Moon through private spacecraft. Two commercial landers built by American companies and financed by NASA are scheduled to be launched to the Moon later this year.

A model of a lunar roving vehicle was displayed at Ispace Inc.’s Hakuto-R Mission Control Center in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The collaboration schemes between new space companies and space agencies open up exciting opportunities for the future of lunar exploration and other domains. ESA Director General said he is convinced that the Hakuto-R Mission 1 is only the beginning of many fascinating projects and activities to come.

Ispace is planning a second mission next year using a lander of almost the same design. A larger Ispace lander will carry NASA payloads to the far side of the Moon in 2026 as part of a CLPS mission led by Draper Laboratory.

The payloads lost aboard the Ispace lander included a two-wheeled transformable lunar robot by JAXA and a small rover from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai.

Losing contact with the Hakuto-R Mission 1 Lander is undoubtedly a setback for Ispace and its partners. Still, it is a testament to the complexity of lunar missions and the challenges private space companies face as they attempt to push the boundaries of space exploration.

Nonetheless, the lessons learned from this mission will help pave the way for future private missions to the Moon and beyond.