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ispace’s Resilience Lander Readies for Mare Frigoris Moon Landing

ESA’s deep-space antenna network will provide the vital link for commands as RESILIENCE prepares to descend to the lunar surface.

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Japan's ispace to land Resilience on the Moon: When will the landing happen?
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Japan’s Resilience Lander to Touch Down on the Moon on June 5 Under ispace’s Mission 2

Overview

  • Resilience lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on January 15 and entered lunar orbit on May 7 after a low-energy transfer trajectory.
  • Final orbital adjustments and system checks are underway ahead of the scheduled June 5 touchdown in the Moon’s northern Mare Frigoris region.
  • ESA’s Estrack deep-space antennas in Spain, Argentina, Australia and French Guiana are facilitating real-time communication between mission control and the spacecraft.
  • Upon landing, Resilience will deploy TENACIOUS, the first European-built micro rover co-funded by LuxIMPULSE, and carry out experiments such as water electrolysis and radiation monitoring.
  • A successful touchdown would mark the first private Japanese lunar landing and bolster ispace’s role in commercial lunar exploration and NASA’s Artemis program.