Japan’s Ispace, a lunar exploration company, is set to make history on April 25th when it soft-lands a privately-operated spacecraft onto the surface of the Moon. So far, only the operations of the space agencies of China, the United States, and Russia have resulted in a successful landing on the Moon.
Takeshi Hakamada, the founder, and CEO of Ispace is looking forward to this momentous occasion, which he said would mark the beginning of a new era of commercial lunar missions. The HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander began its journey to the Moon’s orbit on March 22nd and, following a successful orbital insertion manoeuvre, it sent back a photo of a sunlit section of the Moon all captured by its camera.
As of April 12, 2023, the Mission 1 lander is in a nearly circular orbit with an altitude of 100 km at its lowest point (perilune) and 2,300 km at the highest point (apoapsis). Ispace have functioned a series of orbital control manoeuvers, to reach the designated location and execute the historic landing.
At approximately 15:40 UTC on the 25th of April (9.10 p.m. IST), the lander shall initiate its landing sequence from a 100 km altitude orbit. During the process, its main propulsion system must be utilised into decelerating from orbit, as the lander changes its attitude and slows down to make a gentle impact onto the lunar surface. When completed, Ispace will deploy a miniature rover named Rashid for the United Arab Emirates’ space program to use.
Ispace is a leading provider of technology solutions and space exploration services. The Company focuses on offering space resources for commercial purposes, using lunar mission technology and robotics to achieve their goal. Founded in 2008, Ispace is based in Japan and is the first commercial lunar business.
Takeshi Hakamada is the Founder and CEO of Ispace. He is highly esteemed in the business industry in Japan and around the world. With his expertise in the mechanics of space exploration and the science of spacecraft operations, Hakamada is respected for his hard work, dedication, and innovative vision in making lunar exploration possible. He is looking forward to witnessing this historic day on April 25th, and watching his firm’s celebrated landmark in the next age of commercial lunar missions.
