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In a significant setback for lunar exploration efforts, Japan-based company Ispace has confirmed that its Resilience lander failed to touch down safely on the lunar surface. The unfortunate outcome was confirmed by Ispace officials hours after the attempt, which took place around 3:17 p.m. ET. Although the exact cause of the crash remains unclear, initial assessments suggest that the lander likely made a hard impact on the moon.

This was Ispace’s second effort to achieve a soft lunar landing. The company's previous attempt ended similarly when the Hakuto-R spacecraft crash-landed in 2023 due to a software error that miscalculated the vehicle's altitude. Despite these setbacks, Ispace remains undeterred. The company's motto, "never quit the lunar quest," underscores their determination to eventually succeed in landing on the moon.

Earlier this year, other lunar missions also encountered mixed results. Two Texas-based companies, Firefly and Intuitive Machines, both backed by NASA, made their moon-landing attempts. Firefly celebrated a fully successful mission, marking a milestone for commercial space endeavors, while Intuitive Machines’ lander tipped on its side during the attempt.

Financially, Ispace appears stable for future missions. Jumpei Nozaki, the company’s chief financial officer, assured that funding for a third attempt is secure, irrespective of the outcome of the latest mission. Ispace is already collaborating with US-based Draper, known for its contributions to NASA's Apollo program, on a new lander named Apex 1.0, which is scheduled for a mission to the far side of the moon as soon as 2027.

Resilience had achieved a stable orbit approximately 100 kilometers above the moon and had descended successfully to about 20 kilometers before initiating its deceleration sequence. However, complications arose when the lander’s laser rangefinder, which is designed to measure distance to the lunar surface, encountered delays in obtaining accurate readings. Consequently, the lander could not decelerate to the required speed for a soft landing.

Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada likened the company’s situation to that of SpaceX, which faced several failures before achieving success. "SpaceX has also failed several times, but now SpaceX occupies the launching market," he pointed out during a news conference.

Looking ahead, Ispace will conduct a thorough investigation to identify the issues that led to Resilience's crash and ensure that similar problems do not affect their future missions. Executives also plan to enlist NASA's assistance to use the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s imaging capabilities to confirm the crash details.

Despite the obstacles, Ispace's leadership remains committed to their lunar ambitions. "This is our second failure, and about these results, we have to really take it seriously," Hakamada stated. The company continues to aim for successful future landings and to solidify its role in the renewed race for lunar exploration.