Japan's private lunar adventure hit a major snag as the Tokyo-based company ispace's moon lander crash-landed during its second attempt. Communication vanished just two minutes before the scheduled touchdown, leaving engineers and space enthusiasts in shock. 😢
Dubbed "Resilience," this mission was a follow-up to a previous crash two years ago. The lander was set to deploy a mini rover named Tenacious, equipped with a high-def camera, a shovel to scoop lunar dust for NASA, and even carried a Swedish-inspired red cottage called the Moonhouse to add an artistic touch to the lunar landscape.
Preliminary analysis suggests that a malfunction in the laser system, meant to measure altitude during descent, caused the lander to fall too quickly and perform a hard landing on the moon's surface. CEO and founder Takeshi Hakamada apologized sincerely, stressing that every setback is a learning opportunity and a stepping stone toward future success.
Despite the disappointment, the ispace team remains determined to keep pushing the boundaries of space exploration. With plans already underway for a larger lunar lander by 2027 in collaboration with NASA, this crash is seen not as an end, but as a valuable part of the journey toward achieving new breakthroughs. 🚀
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
