Tokyo-based ispace tried first non-US commercial moon landing

6/6/2025 5:57

Japanese company ispace

said it has not been able to establish communication

with its uncrewed moon lander following its lunar touchdown

attempt on Friday, two years after its failed inaugural mission.



Tokyo-based ispace had hoped to join U.S. firms Intuitive

Machines and Firefly Aerospace, which have accomplished

commercial landings amid an intensifying global race for the

moon that includes state-run missions from China and India.



Resilience, ispace's second lunar lander, targeted Mare

Frigoris, a basaltic plain about 900 km (560 miles) from the

moon's north pole.



The company's live-streamed flight data showed Resilience's

altitude suddenly falling down to zero shortly before the

planned touchdown time of 4:17 a.m. on Friday, Japanese time

(1917 GMT on Thursday) following an hour-long descent from lunar

orbit.



"We haven't been able to confirm" communication, and control

centre members will "continuously attempt to communicate with

the lander," the company said in the broadcast. Footage from the

control room showed nervous faces of ispace engineers.



A room of more than 500 ispace employees, shareholders,

sponsors and government officials abruptly grew silent during a

public viewing event at mission partner Sumitomo Mitsui Banking

Corp in the wee hours in Tokyo.



The status of Resilience remains unclear, and ispace CEO

Takeshi Hakamada will hold a press conference about the outcome

of the mission at 9 a.m. (0000 GMT), the company said.