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2mo ago

Ispace’s Resilience Lander Crashes on Moon, Mission Declared Failure

Ispace concluded the mission unsuccessful after a laser rangefinder malfunction prevented a soft touchdown, with engineers now set to scrutinize telemetry before its next scheduled lander launches in 2027.

Hakuto-R M2 - Resilience
A model of the lunar lander "Resilience", operated by 'ispace', is displayed at a venue where employees of 'ispace' will monitor "Resilience" landing on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Manami Yamada
All launch preparations are complete in advance of SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon Mission 2 launch featuring the RESILIENCE lunar lander and TENACIOUS micro rover, scheduled to launch on Jan. 15, 2025, at 06:11 UTC. The RESILIENCE Lunar Lander can be seen here integrated into the SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle Adapter 7 days before the planned launch, in the Payload Processing Facility, U.S. Space Force Station, Fla. All preparations for loading the fairing and launch have now been completed.
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Overview

  • Resilience lost contact during its descent and failed to achieve a soft landing at Mare Frigoris, marking ispace’s second lunar crash in two years.
  • The company attributes the mishap to a malfunctioning laser device that mismeasured altitude and left the lander unable to slow adequately before impact.
  • Onboard payloads included the 5 kg Tenacious rover built for NASA regolith sampling and a miniature ‘Moonhouse’ art piece by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg.
  • Launched in January aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and using a five-month low-energy transfer, the mission cost less than ispace’s prior $100 million-plus effort.
  • CEO Takeshi Hakamada apologized for the setback and affirmed plans to launch two upgraded Apex 1.0 landers in 2027