Science

Japan's ispace Set for Groundbreaking Moon Landing This Week!

2025-06-02

Author: Emily

This week marks a monumental moment for Japan as the private company ispace prepares for an extraordinary moon landing!

On Thursday, June 5, at 3:24 p.m. EDT (1924 GMT), the company's Resilience lunar lander will attempt to safely touch down in the Mare Frigoris, also known as the "Sea of Cold." You can catch all the action from the comfort of your home through ispace's live webcast on YouTube, starting an hour before the landing.

If successful, this mission will be a game-changer for ispace and Japan, who currently boasts only one soft lunar landing on record—the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SLIM spacecraft, which completed its mission just last year. This achievement would not only elevate Japan's status in space exploration but also mark a significant leap forward for commercial lunar endeavors.

Resilience is ispace's second lunar lander, following its predecessor, which unfortunately fell short during its landing attempt in April 2023. Should Resilience prevail, it will deploy the Tenacious rover and host an array of scientific instruments on the moon's surface.

Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, Resilience took an intricate route to the moon after sharing the spotlight with Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost, which successfully landed on March 2.

Opting for a longer, more fuel-efficient journey, Resilience underwent a series of maneuvers, including a brief Earth orbit and a lunar flyby. It navigated through deep space before entering lunar orbit as planned on May 6.

On May 28, the lander executed a crucial 10-minute engine burn that established a circular orbit about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the moon's surface. Following this major maneuver, ispace engineers are meticulously analyzing the trajectory to ensure Resilience is on the optimal path, ready for a potential orbital trim.

In a pre-maneuver treat, Resilience captured a breathtaking image of the moon's surface, highlighting its fascinating craters and rugged terrain. As it zooms around the moon at speeds of 3,600 mph (5,800 kph), completing a lap every two hours, the tension builds for the highly anticipated landing attempt later this week.