Japanese Hakuto-R Lunar Lander Attempt Fails: A Second Private Moon Mission Setback

 In 2019, the Israeli Beresheet lunar lander crashed, marking the first privately-funded moon landing failure. Now, the Japanese company ispace has experienced a similar fate with its Hakuto-R lander[1]. Contact was lost during the lunar landing attempt three days ago, making this the second unsuccessful private moon mission.

Launched last December on a SpaceX Falcon 9, Hakuto-R traveled 1.3 million kilometers from Earth before entering lunar orbit[2]. From March 21, the mission orbited the moon at a mere 100 kilometers above its surface[2]. Despite performing flawlessly until seconds before landing, the last signals received indicated Hakuto-R was just 90 meters above the ground, traveling at a speed of 33 km/h[2]. 

Efforts to reestablish contact failed, leading scientists to deduce that Hakuto-R crashed on the lunar surface[2]. The small UAE rover, Rashid, was also lost during the incident[2]. On April 20, Hakuto-R captured an image of Earth from its lunar orbit, showcasing the total eclipse and the Moon's shadow on our planet[2]. 

Despite this setback, ispace remains focused on its goal of supporting 1,000 humans on the moon by 2040[2].

References: [1] Japanese lander appears to fail just before touchdown on ... [2] Japan's Hakuto-R Lander Fails To Land on the Moon After ... [3] ispace says its HAKUTO-R lunar lander failed landing