Japan’s ispace eyes Moon landing with Resilience spacecraft on June 5 — here’s when and where to watch it live

Japan’s ispace eyes Moon landing with Resilience spacecraft on June 5 — here’s when and where to watch it live (Image: ispace/ESA)

Space fans have another date to mark on their calendars. This time, it’s a fresh attempt at a soft lunar landing by a small Japanese spacecraft with a mighty name — Resilience. If all goes as planned, it will gently touch down on the Moon’s surface this Thursday, 5 June.

The lander ispace calls Resilience is part of the Hakuto-R Mission 2. The company’s first effort to land in 2023 sadly ended in a crash. But this new mission carries hope, science, and even a little art — and you can watch it live.

Landing attempt time and how to watch it

The Moon landing is expected at 3:24 p.m. EDT (8:24 p.m. BST) on Thursday, which will be 4:24 a.m. JST on Friday in Japan. However, this timing could change depending on conditions at the chosen site.

ispace plans to land the probe in Mare Frigoris, a large plain in the Moon’s northern region. It is not the same crater targeted in the first mission. However, three backup landing spots are ready if needed.

The landing coverage will begin at 2:10 p.m. EDT (7:10 p.m. BST) via YouTube. Streams will be offered in both English and Japanese. ispace says viewers can follow the broadcast with their preferred language choice.

Details about the journey and mission goals

Resilience was launched on 15 January aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It travelled to the Moon using a slower “low energy transfer” path. This route took months instead of days to complete. The craft entered lunar orbit on 6 May.

Unlike Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, which touched down in March, Resilience took the scenic route. It now nears the final and most critical phase of its journey — a soft landing.

Once on the surface, the lander is expected to last two weeks. This is roughly one lunar day. The full mission timeline, from launch to the end, stretches to about five months.

Science, technology, and culture on board

Resilience is carrying several scientific payloads. One is a water electrolyser from Takasago Thermal Engineering. It aims to test if lunar water can be turned into hydrogen and oxygen.

Another experiment comes from Euglena Co., which will test growing algae for food. The craft also includes a deep space radiation probe, tracking radiation levels throughout the mission.

A mini rover named Tenacious, made by ispace’s European team, will roll out if the landing goes well. It will test a camera and a shovel designed for sample return missions.

Besides science, the mission also carries culture. Swedish artist Mikael Genberg has sent a small red sculpture called Moonhouse. The lander also holds a commemorative plate with a quote from the Gundam anime series, provided by Bandai Namco Research Institute.

As ispace prepares for landing, all eyes are once again on the Moon. This mission may yet show that private space dreams — with enough patience — can land on solid ground.