Japan’s ispace Moon Mission Crashes as Another Lunar Landing Fails

Japan’s ispace Moon Mission Crashes as Another Lunar Landing Fails (Image: ispace)

It was a moment filled with hope and tension. Engineers watched closely, waiting for a signal from the moon. But as the seconds ticked by, silence took over the room—and then, disappointment. Tokyo-based firm ispace has confirmed its second failed lunar landing attempt after losing contact with its lander, Resilience, during final descent.

The mission was progressing smoothly at first. Resilience, a 2.3-metre lander, had successfully dropped out of lunar orbit and was set to touch down in Mare Frigoris, a flat area near the moon’s north. But contact was lost just moments before the planned landing. Despite hours of efforts, the team could not re-establish communication.

Second setback after early promise
The lander carried a small rover called Tenacious and a symbolic red house model by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg. Had the mission succeeded, Tenacious would have explored the surface and collected samples for NASA. The rover was built using carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and equipped with a high-definition camera.

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.Given that there is currently no pic.twitter.com/IoRUfggoiQ
ispace (@ispace_inc) June 6, 2025

The company’s livestream ended shortly after the failed attempt. ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada apologised publicly, acknowledging the setback and thanking everyone involved. He added that the incident must be taken seriously. This latest failure follows a similar crash in 2022, when ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 also lost control during its final descent.

Future plans face growing pressure
Launched in January aboard a SpaceX rocket from Florida, Resilience shared its ride with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost. That lander successfully touched down in March, making Firefly the first private company to achieve a soft lunar landing.

Resilience had aimed to beam images back to Earth and begin deploying its rover within hours. The payload also included Moonhouse, a model home representing ispace’s broader vision of human life on the moon by the 2040s. With this second crash, that dream has taken another hit.

The company plans to launch a larger lander by 2027, with NASA as a partner. But funding concerns loom. Chief engineer Jeremy Fix previously warned that the company cannot afford repeated failures. Chief financial officer Jumpei Nozaki, however, stated that their lunar goals remain unchanged.

Officials confirmed the latest mission cost less than the first, which topped $100 million, but exact figures remain undisclosed. For now, ispace must regroup as it looks to future missions—and re-earn confidence in its celestial ambitions.