A Japanese lunar mission ended in failure on Friday after Tokyo-based space company ispace lost contact with its RESILIENCE lunar lander during its descent to the Moon. The company declared the mission unsuccessful several hours later, marking its second failed lunar landing attempt.
Landing Attempt & Communication Loss
The lander began its descent on June 6, 2025 (JST), targeting the Mare Frigoris (“Sea of Cold”) region in the Moon’s northern hemisphere. Commands to initiate the landing sequence were transmitted from the HAKUTO-R Mission Control Center in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, at 3:13 a.m., and the lander successfully fired its engine to slow down from around 100 km to 20 km altitude.
However, just under two minutes before the scheduled touchdown, communication with the lander ceased, and no telemetry confirming a successful landing was received.
Mission Aborted: “Success 9 Not Achievable”
In an official statement shared on X, ispace confirmed:
“As of 8:00 a.m. on June 6, 2025, mission controllers have determined that it is unlikely that communication with the lander will be restored and therefore completing Success 9 is not achievable. It has been decided to conclude the mission.”
CEO Takeshi Hakamada expressed deep concern, stating:
“Given that there is currently no prospect of a successful lunar landing, our top priority is to swiftly analyze the telemetry data and identify the cause.”
What Went Wrong?
Preliminary analysis suggests the lander’s laser altimeter system—used to measure its altitude—malfunctioned, causing it to descend too quickly. As a result, the lander likely experienced a “hard landing”, hitting the Moon’s surface with more force than intended, making survival of the lander or its mission objectives unlikely.
Onboard Payloads and Mission Goals
The RESILIENCE lander carried several high-profile scientific payloads and symbolic artifacts, including:
- Tenacious: a mini lunar rover built by the European Space Agency (ESA)
- A water electrolyser for producing hydrogen and oxygen
- A food production experiment
- A deep-space radiation probe
- Moonhouse: a model home by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg
The rover was also equipped with a shovel to collect lunar soil samples.
Second Failed Attempt, but Mission Continues
This marks ispace’s second consecutive failure to complete a lunar landing. The company’s first mission in 2023 also ended in a crash, prompting the naming of its new lander “Resilience” to reflect its commitment to persevere.
Hakamada acknowledged the setback, stating:
“This is the second time we were not able to land. We must take it seriously—but we remain committed to continuing our lunar exploration missions.”
Lunar Landings: A Tough Feat
Only five nations—the US, Soviet Union, China, India, and Japan—have successfully performed soft landings on the Moon. While this mission did not reach its target, ispace continues to contribute to the growing landscape of commercial lunar exploration.
