Business
Japan’s ispace now aims for a lunar landing in 2021, and a Moon rover deployment in 2023
One of the private companies aiming to deliver a commercial lunar lander to the Moon has adjusted the timing for its planned mission, which isn’t all that surprising given the enormity of the task. Japanese startup ispace is now targeting 2021 for their first lunar landing, and 2023 for a second lunar mission that will also include deploying a rover on the Moon’s surface.
The company’s ‘HAKUTO-R’ program was originally planned to to include a mission in 2020 that would involve sending a lunar orbital vehicle for demonstration purposes without any payloads, but that part of the plan has been scrapped in favor of focusing all efforts on delivering actual payloads for commercial customers by 2021 instead.
This updated focus, the company says, is due mostly to the speeding up of the global market for private launch services and payload delivery, including for things like NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, wherein the agency is looking for a growing number of private contractors to support its own needs in terms of getting stuff to the Moon.
ispace itself isn’t on the list of 9 companies selected in round one of NASA’s program, but the Japanese company is supporting American non-profit Draper in its efforts, which was one fo the chosen. The Draper/ispace team-up happened after ispace’s initial commitment to its 2020 orbital demo, so its change in priorities makes sense given the new tie-up.
HAKUTO-R will use SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for its first missions, and the company has also signed partnerships with JAXA, Japan’s space agency, as well as new corporate partners including Suzuki, Sumitomo Corporation, Shogakukan, and Citizen Watch.
-
Entertainment7 days ago
What’s new to streaming this week? (Jan. 17, 2025)
-
Entertainment6 days ago
Explainer: Age-verification bills for porn and social media
-
Entertainment6 days ago
If TikTok is banned in the U.S., this is what it will look like for everyone else
-
Entertainment5 days ago
‘Night Call’ review: A bad day on the job makes for a superb action movie
-
Entertainment5 days ago
How ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ evolved from lockdown escape to Shakespearean success
-
Entertainment6 days ago
‘September 5’ review: a blinkered, noncommittal thriller about an Olympic hostage crisis
-
Entertainment6 days ago
‘Back in Action’ review: Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx team up for Gen X action-comedy
-
Entertainment6 days ago
‘One of Them Days’ review: Keke Palmer and SZA are friendship goals