Japan’s Resilience Lander Loses Contact Before Historic Moon Landing Attempt
In a disappointing turn of events, Japan’s frist private lunar lander, Resilience, lost contact moments before it’s anticipated touchdown on the moon. The Tokyo-based company Ispace announced the cancellation of the mission on friday, marking a setback for their aspiring plans to become the third private entity globally-and the first outside the U.S.-to successfully land a robotic lander on the lunar surface.
This isn’t the first time Ispace has faced challenges; their previous mission in 2023 also ended in failure. CEO Takeshi Hakamada informed reporters that the decision to abort the mission stemmed from the low likelihood of re-establishing dialog with the lander. As Resilience began its rapid descent, mission control attempted to engage the engines to slow its speed, but the efforts were ultimately in vain. The emotional weight of this setback resonates deeply, not just within the company but also among space enthusiasts who had hoped to witness a historic achievement for Japan in the realm of space exploration.
