Japanese startup Ispace is set to attempt a lunar landing with its Resilience lander early on June 6, 2025, beginning its descent at 3:20 a.m.

The target landing site is Mare Frigoris, or Sea of Cold, located in the moon’s northern hemisphere, and this is Ispace’s second mission after its first failed in April 2023 due to a software error.

The Resilience mission carries multiple payloads, including the Tenacious microrover.

This rover was developed in partnership with the European Space Agency to collect lunar regolith under a NASA contract.

If successful, it will be the first European-built rover to land on the moon.

Additional payloads include a water electrolysis system, a radiation sensor, and a food production module, along with cultural items like a multilingual Memory Disc and an art sculpture.

Resilience was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, 2025, the lander entered lunar orbit on May 7, 2025 and is now set for its final descent.

🔗 Source: The Japan Times

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ The persistent challenge of lunar landings despite technological advances

Lunar landings remain extraordinarily difficult, with historical data showing nearly 40% of moon missions failing over the past six decades 1.

Recent attempts highlight these ongoing challenges. India’s Vikram lander crashed in 2019 despite successfully completing its initial descent phase from 30km to 7.4km altitude 1.

Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft, which would have made Israel the fourth country to achieve a lunar landing, similarly failed in April 2019 due to engine and communication problems during its final descent 2.

Ispace’s own previous mission failure in April 2023 followed a similar pattern, with a software error causing altitude miscalculation, a recurring issue in lunar landing failures 1.

These repeated challenges explain why only three countries (US, Soviet Union/Russia, and China) have successfully accomplished soft lunar landings, making Ispace’s second attempt particularly significant.

2️⃣ The rise of private lunar exploration as a new economic frontier