A Japanese Company Aims for the Moon

Tokyo-based space startup ispace, Inc. announced that it will launch its lunar lander, Resilience, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 15th. The mission marks the company's second attempt at a lunar landing, following an unsuccessful effort in the spring of 2023.

Resilience will travel to the moon aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, taking approximately four and a half months to reach its destination. If successful, the landing will mark a historic achievement for ispace, making it the first Japanese company to land a spacecraft on the moon.

This mission follows the success of a private US space company, which became the first in the world to achieve a lunar landing in February 2023. ispace's attempt adds to the growing trend of private companies venturing into space exploration, pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation.