Tokyo’s ispace company is preparing to make history as it attempts to be the first private business to land on the moon. The company successfully put its own spacecraft into orbit around the moon a month ago and is now preparing for the next stage of its mission. The craft, named Hakuto, which means white rabbit in Japanese, will be directed by flight controllers to descend from 60 miles (100 kilometers) high and land. If successful, the mission will represent a major milestone in space exploration.
The 7-foot lander, Hakuto, is carrying a mini lunar rover for the United Arab Emirates and a small, toy-like robot from Japan designed to roll around in the moon dust. Hakuto took a long, roundabout route to the moon following its December liftoff, beaming back photos of Earth along the way. Despite the challenges, the team at ispace is optimistic about the mission, with CEO Takeshi Hakamada stating that he believes his company can become the world’s top lunar exploration firm.
Only three governments have successfully landed on the moon to date: Russia, the United States, and China. An Israeli nonprofit attempted to land on the moon in 2019, but its spacecraft was destroyed on impact. The success of the ispace mission could open the door for more private businesses to participate in lunar exploration, marking a new era of space exploration and development.