TOKYO, Jun 6 (NNN-NHK) – A private lunar lander from Japanese space startup, ispace, attempted a touchdown on the moon early today, but its fate remains unknown, as the company is still trying to establish communication with the lander.
The lander was scheduled to touch down at 4:17 a.m. today, Tokyo Time, but the livestream of the landing was later cut off. “The latest updates will be provided at a press briefing, scheduled in a few hours,” the host of the livestream said.
The spacecraft, launched in Jan, from Florida, began its descent from lunar orbit at around 3:00 a.m. this morning.
The second attempt followed the company’s failure in 2023, when a misjudgment in altitude led to a crash.
The lander is carrying multiple payloads, including a rover, developed by ispace and a Japanese-made experimental device, designed to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water.– NNN-NHK
