Ispace's 'Resilience' Aims for Historic Lunar Landing
Japanese company ispace aims to achieve a historic moon landing with its second lunar lander, Resilience. Set for touchdown on Mare Frigoris, this mission comes two years after their first failed attempt. If successful, it marks a significant achievement outside the USA in the ongoing global space race.
In a determined bid to make history, Japanese aerospace company ispace prepares for another attempt at a lunar landing this Friday. Their uncrewed spacecraft, Resilience, aims to succeed where the company's inaugural mission faltered two years ago, potentially making ispace the first non-American company to land on the moon.
Joining the ranks of U.S. firms like Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace, ispace's mission underscores a rapidly intensifying global race for lunar exploration, including state missions from China and India. The Resilience lander is scheduled for a precise touchdown on the basaltic plains of Mare Frigoris, with its descent organized for 4:17 a.m. local time on Friday.
If Resilience lands successfully, it will carry out a two-week exploration mission, including data collection for NASA. The mission reflects Japan's ongoing commitment to lunar exploration, aligning with the U.S. Artemis program despite past challenges. Ispace envisions seven additional missions planned through 2029, fulfilling growing lunar transportation demands.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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