Japanese Startup ispace Attempts Second Moon Landing with Resilience Lander

Japanese startup ispace is preparing for its second attempt to land on the Moon with its Resilience lander, scheduled for touchdown on June 5, 2025, at 3:24 p.m. ET. This mission follows a failed first landing attempt in April 2023, when the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander crashed due to fuel depletion during descent.

The Resilience lander has spent six months traveling to the Moon, utilizing complex orbital maneuvers including an elliptical transfer orbit and a lunar flyby to enter a low-energy transfer trajectory. It currently orbits the Moon in a low lunar orbit, awaiting the final descent sequence.

The landing site is near the center of Mare Frigoris, a region in the Moon's far northern area known as the "sea of cold." The lander will autonomously fire its main propulsion system to decelerate and adjust altitude for a soft landing.

Resilience carries a small rover named Tenacious and scientific instruments primarily from Japanese commercial space ventures. These payloads aim to conduct surface exploration and gather valuable data from this less-studied lunar region.

ispace’s founder and CEO, Takeshi Hakamada, expressed confidence in the mission, citing lessons learned from the first attempt and the current voyage. The company is optimistic about achieving a successful lunar landing this time.

This mission is part of a growing wave of commercial lunar exploration efforts. However, the Moon remains a challenging environment, as evidenced by recent crashes of other startups’ landers like Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C and Athena, which toppled upon landing.

The landing attempt will be streamed live on ispace’s YouTube channel starting about an hour before touchdown, providing a rare opportunity to witness a critical milestone in commercial space exploration.

Why This Matters

The success of ispace’s Resilience lander could mark a significant step forward for commercial lunar missions, demonstrating the viability of private companies conducting complex space operations. It also highlights Japan’s growing role in the space economy and the potential for new scientific discoveries in underexplored lunar regions.

As more startups enter the lunar exploration arena, each mission adds valuable data and experience, gradually reducing risks and costs associated with space ventures. Watching Resilience’s attempt live offers a glimpse into the future of space exploration where private innovation drives progress.