The Japanese space company ispace has launched a mission to the moon called Hakuto-R Mission 2. Its module was launched on January 15 at 08:11 a.m. by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will also deliver the Blue Ghost module to the moon, created by Firefly Aerospace in cooperation with NASA.
Unlike Blue Ghost M1, which is scheduled to be delivered to the Moon on March 2, 2025, the Hakuto-R M2 mission will stay in space longer. The RESILIENCE module from ispace will repeat the route of the first mission, which ended unsuccessfully due to landing problems. The module is expected to reach the lunar surface in about four months.
The RESILIENCE lunar lander will carry commercial cargo:
- Equipment for a water electrolyzer from Takasago Thermal Engineering Co.
- An autonomous module from Euglena Co. for food production experiments.
- The Deep Space Radiation Probe from the Department of Space Science and Engineering at Taiwan's National Central University.
- Alloy commemorative plaque by Bandai Namco Research Institute, Inc. based on the model of the "Universal Century Charter" from the Mobile Suit Gundam UC animation.
- The TENACIOUS microrover developed by ispace-EUROPE will explore the landing site, collect lunar regolith, and transmit data to the lander. It will be equipped with a front HD camera and a shovel.
- Moon House: a model of a house by Swedish artist Mikael Henberg that will be installed on the rover.
At the end of 2023, ispace also unveiled the Apex 1.0 lander, designed for short-range lunar missions. Its launch is expected in 2026 as part of the third mission.