Japanese company iSpace’s attempt at a historic first private Moon landing is believed to have failed as communication with the lunar lander, Hakuto-R, was lost just before it was due to touch down. Engineers are currently investigating what went wrong. The lander was intended to release an exploratory rover as well as a tennis-ball-sized robot developed by a toymaker.
The spacecraft was launched by a SpaceX rocket in December, and after five months it had reached its destination. It took Hakuto-R much longer than government-sponsored missions to reach the Moon’s orbit because of its much less powerful propulsion system, which was meant to save fuel and reduce costs. However, the mission appeared to be going well until moments before it was due to land.
iSpace CEO Takeshi Hakamada announced about 25 minutes after the planned landing that communication with the lander had not been confirmed, and that the landing on the lunar surface could not be completed. A live animation had shown the M1 lander appearing to be set to touch down around 1640 GMT on Tuesday after coming within 295 feet (89 m) of the lunar surface.
The United States, Russia, and China are the only countries that have succeeded in putting a robot on the lunar surface, all through government-sponsored programs. While iSpace’s mission was not sponsored by the Japanese government, it is still a major setback for the private space industry, which is seeking to play an increasing role in space exploration.