Japanese startup space prepare for historic moon landing in June

By Alimat Aliyeva

Japanese space startup ispace Inc. plans to make another attempt to land its Resilience module on the Moon on June 6, Azernews reports.

If successful, ispace will become the first Japanese private company to achieve this historic milestone.

The Resilience module, along with the lunar rover and experimental equipment onboard, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 15. The module is currently en route to Earth's satellite and is expected to enter lunar orbit in early May.

The landing is scheduled for 4:24 a.m. on June 6, Japan Standard Time, near the center of the area known as the Sea of Cold (Mare Frigoris).

This region is of particular interest to scientists because it is believed to contain deposits of water ice, which could be a valuable resource for future lunar missions and potential lunar settlements.

The startup previously attempted a lunar landing in April 2023 with a different spacecraft but was unsuccessful. However, according to ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada, the efficiency and reliability of the operation have significantly improved since the last attempt, and the company is confident about the success of this upcoming landing.

The successful landing of Resilience could pave the way for future private sector involvement in lunar exploration, marking a new era in space technology and commercialization. The potential discovery of water ice in the Sea of Cold could also have profound implications for future missions, as it could provide crucial resources like water for astronauts and fuel for rockets, reducing the need to transport everything from Earth. ispace's efforts also highlight Japan’s growing role in the space race, with increasing interest in developing sustainable lunar exploration capabilities and contributing to the international efforts to build a permanent human presence on the Moon.