Japanese Company Ispace Identifies Cause of Second Moon Landing Crash
Tokyo, Japan – A critical component, a laser navigation tool, is being blamed for the recent crash of Japanese company ispace’s lunar lander, named Resilience. This marks the second consecutive failure for the company in its ambitious attempts to soft-land a spacecraft on the lunar surface within just two years.
Officials from the Tokyo-based company announced on Tuesday that the malfunction occurred during the crucial final moments of the lander’s descent towards the moon’s far northern region, a volcanic area known as Mare Frigoris, or the “Sea of Cold.”
Laser Tool Failure Doomed the Mission
According to ispace, the lander’s laser range finder, a vital instrument designed to precisely measure the distance to the lunar surface during landing, was slow to activate and failed to provide accurate readings in time. This delay meant the Resilience lander continued its descent at a dangerously high speed.
Just five seconds before impact, contact was lost with the spacecraft as it was descending at a rapid rate of 138 feet (42 meters) per second. The subsequent crash resulted in the destruction of both the lander and a mini rover it was carrying.
Confirmation of the crash site came last week from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Images captured by the orbiting spacecraft clearly show a distinct dark smudge on the lunar surface in the Mare Frigoris region, surrounded by a faint halo of dust and debris kicked up by the impact, marking the final resting place of Resilience.
Pattern of Setbacks in Final Descent
This recent failure echoes a previous setback for ispace. In 2023, the company’s first lunar lander mission also ended in a crash during the final descent phase. That earlier failure was attributed to a software issue. Both incidents highlight the extreme technical challenges involved in achieving a controlled soft landing on the moon.
Landing on the moon remains a difficult feat, particularly for private ventures. Out of seven recent attempts by private companies, only one has achieved total success: Texas-based Firefly Aerospace with its Blue Ghost lander, which successfully touched down in March. Interestingly, Firefly’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s ill-fated Resilience lander shared the same SpaceX rocket launch from Florida back in January.
Historically, only five countries – the Soviet Union, the U.S., China, India, and Japan – have successfully landed spacecraft on the moon. The United States remains the sole nation to have put astronauts on the lunar surface during the Apollo program over half a century ago.
Perseverance Despite Losses
Despite facing back-to-back mission losses, ispace is not stepping back from its lunar exploration goals. The company is pressing ahead with plans for a third moon landing attempt scheduled for 2027, which will include cooperation with NASA. A fourth mission is also in the planning stages.
Ispace acknowledges that implementing the necessary extra tests and improvements based on the investigation into these failures will add significant development costs, estimated at as much as 1.5 billion yen (more than $10 million).
CEO and founder Takeshi Hakamada emphasized the company’s resilience, stating that they “has not stepped down in the face of setbacks” and are focused on regaining the trust of their customers. As part of the rigorous accident review process, outside experts will be invited to participate, and ispace intends to collaborate more closely with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on technical matters moving forward.
“We’re firmly taking the next step toward our future missions,” Hakamada affirmed, signaling the company’s determination to overcome these challenges and eventually achieve a successful lunar landing.
