In a heartbreaking déjà vu for Japan’s ispace, the company’s second attempt to achieve a soft landing on the Moon has ended in failure, nearly two years after its first mission met a similar fate. The lunar lander “Resilience,” part of ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 2, likely experienced a “hard landing” on the Moon’s surface early Thursday morning, according to company officials.
An illustration of ispace's Resilience lunar lander and its Tenacious lunar rover. Credit: ispace
The setback came after months of meticulous preparations and a four-and-a-half-month journey through space. Resilience launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, 2025, sharing a ride with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander. The Japanese lander entered lunar orbit on May 6 (EDT) and had been undergoing final system checks and descent preparations since.
During a live-streamed landing event, ispace used simulations based on real-time telemetry rather than live visuals. All systems appeared normal until just under two minutes before the expected touchdown, when the simulation displayed a sudden drop in altitude—an ominous signal that something had gone wrong. Telemetry was ultimately lost when the spacecraft was just 192 meters (630 feet) above the surface and descending at a faster-than-expected speed.
At a press conference held Thursday evening (EDT), ispace confirmed that the lander lost communication during the final stages of descent. Preliminary analysis points to an issue with the spacecraft’s laser rangefinder, which experienced delays in producing accurate measurements. As a result, Resilience was unable to slow down adequately and likely crashed onto the Moon’s surface.
“Given that there is currently no prospect of a successful lunar landing, our top priority is to swiftly analyze the telemetry data we have obtained thus far and work diligently to identify the cause,” said ispace Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada. “We will strive to restore trust by providing a full report to our shareholders, customers, partners, and the public.”
Telemetry data from ispace’s Resilience lunar lander was lost in the final minutes leading up to its planned touchdown time. Image: ispace
Lessons from the Past
This marks ispace’s second consecutive failed lunar landing. Its first attempt in 2023 was undone by a software glitch in the final moments. Mission 2, while utilizing insights gained from that initial effort, still faced the harsh realities of space exploration.
Despite the disappointment, Hakamada remains steadfast in his company’s ambitions, repeating his personal motto: “Never quit the lunar quest.” Ispace has already lined up two more missions, both featuring a larger lander named APEX 1.0. The next launch is tentatively scheduled for 2027 and will be part of a NASA-contracted mission to the Moon’s far side, in the Schrödinger Basin. This mission will also include the deployment of two communication relay satellites.
Payloads Lost, but Impact Felt
Resilience carried six payloads, including the European-built micro-rover “TENACIOUS,” developed by ispace’s Luxembourg team. Weighing just 5 kg and no larger than a shoebox, the rover would have been the first European rover to operate on the lunar surface.
Also onboard were:
- A water electrolyzer from Takasago Thermal Engineering Co.
- A food production module by Euglena Co.
- A deep space radiation sensor from Taiwan’s National Central University.
- A commemorative alloy plate created by Bandai Namco, referencing the "Charter of the Universal Century" from Mobile Suit Gundam UC.
- A miniature red house by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, intended to spark conversations about human presence and creativity on the Moon.
Genberg and his team, who spent 25 years developing the art installation, were emotionally candid ahead of the landing. “When I search myself, I find it’s going to be a very big feeling of emptiness,” said Technical Lead Emil Vinterhav. “But at the same time, we will be on the Moon. We reached the Moon—maybe not exactly as we planned—but it was never going to be exactly as we wanted it to be.”
Ispace’s struggle is part of a broader trend among commercial space companies facing the Moon’s immense technical challenges. While national agencies like India’s ISRO and Japan’s JAXA have notched recent successes—including JAXA’s SLIM lander surviving the frigid lunar night—private efforts have faced mixed outcomes.
In the U.S., NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program has supported three companies so far. Of those, only Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission-1 has achieved a fully successful soft landing. Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander failed due to a propulsion issue and never reached the Moon. Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 and IM-2 missions reached the surface but tipped over on landing. Despite this, NASA and the companies continue to view these missions as successes because of the valuable data collected.
By this standard, ispace's own efforts have not been in vain. Each mission has helped refine technology, expose weaknesses, and advance the collective knowledge of how to land small, lightweight vehicles on one of the harshest surfaces in the solar system.
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