ispace's Lunar Dreams Dashed Again!

In a stunning revelation, the Japanese aerospace firm ispace has reported that its second lunar lander mission, Resilience, crashed due to a malfunction in a crucial laser rangefinder designed to measure altitude during descent.

The Causes of the Crash Unveiled

During a press briefing held on June 23, executives disclosed that upon reviewing the unfortunate June 5 landing attempt, they concluded that the laser rangefinder experienced a hardware failure, preventing it from delivering timely altitude data.

This faulty device was supposed to kick into gear when the spacecraft was three kilometers above the moon's surface, but alarmingly, it only provided its first reading when Resilience was less than 900 meters from landing.

Speeding Toward Disaster!

With the lander now in a desperate bid for survival, it tried to decelerate rapidly. Unfortunately, it was descending five meters per second faster than intended—66 meters per second versus the target of 44 meters. The last telemetry data received showed it plummeting at 42 meters per second when it was just 192 meters above the surface.

Crash Site Discovered!

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured striking images revealing the likely crash site of the Resilience spacecraft—282 meters south and 236 meters east of the projected landing spot—leaving a crater 16 meters wide.

Digging Deeper: The Investigation

Yoshitsugu Hitachi, ispace's executive VP, elaborated on the investigation. Initially, the team examined both hardware and software; telemetry indicated no issues on the software front and ruled out propulsion problems. Ultimately, they concluded that the laser rangefinder had degraded since pre-launch tests.

Possible culprits for the degradation include adverse lunar conditions that hindered laser reflections, reduced power output, performance drops at high speeds, or even challenges posed by the harsh space environment.

Important Distinctions

Hitachi emphasized that this incident was distinct from ispace's first mission mishap in 2023, where a software glitch falsely indicated the lander was near the surface while it was still floating at five kilometers.

Path Ahead: Changes on the Horizon

To prevent future calamities, ispace is undertaking significant changes, including enhancing testing protocols for the laser rangefinder and exploring alternative sensor options such as lidar or cameras for better navigation.

Additionally, the company will create an external review board featuring former NASA and JAXA engineers, enhancing collaboration with Japan's space agency.

Looking Toward the Future

Despite these setbacks, ispace remains optimistic about its upcoming missions. Both Mission 3 and Mission 4, set for launch in 2027, will not be impacted by changes to the laser technology, though ispace anticipates incurring extra costs of about $10.3 million.

"We take it very seriously," stated CEO Takeshi Hakamada, adding that while failures are part of the journey, progress and improvement are the ultimate goals. "Our primary objective remains to move forward undeterred and to earn back the trust of our customers and partners."