Google Lunar X Prize

SpaceX Crew Dragon approaching the ISS on May 23, 2023. On board is the Axiom-2 crew. Photo: NASASomeone once said that May is a month of renewal, growth, and endless possibilities. That was certainly the case for spaceflight last month, as these striking visuals attest.May 2023 was a busy one for spaceflight, with private missions blasting off to the ISS, a space tourism venture getting back on track, and an assortment of previously launched spacecraft navigating the cosmic highways. Here are some of our favorite visuals…

Japanese company ispace finally knows what caused its beloved lunar lander to crash on the surface of the Moon. The unlikely culprit behind the lander’s free-fall appears to have been a large cliff, which caused Hakuto-R to miscalculate its distance to the surface. China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonA month after the Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) Lunar Lander plummeted towards the Moon’s cratered surface, Tokyo-based ispace released the findings of its investigationinto the failure of its inaugural mission. The company…

In late April, a privately-owned Japanese lunar lander failed in its attempt to land on the Moon, crashing on the lunar surface to never be heard from again. Although we may not have seen the lander’s final moments, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured an overhead view of the spacecraft’s crash site, revealing the point of impact surrounded by scattered debris.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewOn April 26, LRO captured a series of ten images around the estimated…

Following Tuesday’s failed attempt to land on the surface of the Moon, Japan’s ispace said its lunar lander may have unexpectedly accelerated on its way down before crashing on the lunar surface.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander (M1) was scheduled to touchdown on the Moon on April 25 at 12:40 p.m. ET. “Shortly after the scheduled landing time, no data was received indicating a touchdown,” ispace wrote in a statement. “ispace engineers monitored the…

Tokyo-based company ispace appears to have failed in its attempt to land its lunar lander on the surface of the Moon, which would have made it the first private mission to land on the dusty lunar surface.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander was scheduled to land on the lunar surface on Tuesday at 12:40 p.m. ET. The lander was targeting a landing site at the Moon’s Atlas crater in the far northern hemisphere called Mare Frigoris, also known as the…

Tokyo-based company ispace is hoping to make history on Tuesday by landing the first private mission to the Moon’s surface and deliver its many payloads.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander will attempt to land on the Moon on April 25 at 12:40 p.m. ET. The celestial landing will be aired live through ispace’s YouTube channel, and you can also tune in to the nail-biting action through the feed below. The live feed is scheduled to begin at around…

The inaugural launch of SpaceX’s Starship captured our imagination, but the coming week reminds us of the company’s other heavy-lift launch vehicle: Falcon Heavy. We’re also anticipating a historic spacewalk and a potentially unprecedented commercial Moon landing. Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewWe’ve also got our eyes on two Falcon 9 launches, as SpaceX continues to build its internet megaconstellation. A commercial Japanese lander will attempt a lunar landingHakuto-R snapped…

China’s plan to reach the widely coveted lunar south pole—where NASA hopes to touch down in 2025 with Artemis 3—has been disrupted by a decades-old U.S. trade law. The International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, has seemingly prevented the 2026 Chang’e 7 mission from including UAE’s Rashid 2 rover.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe South China Morning Post reported on the shakeup last week, citing two anonymous sources familiar with China’s mission. Rashid 2 would…

A Japanese mission to the Moon seeksto be the first private venture to successfully land on the lunar surface. But before it attempts to touchdown on its dusty surface, the Hakuto-R lunar lander is treating us to some sweet new views of our natural satellite.On Monday, Tokyo-based company ispace shared its lander’s view of the Moon, which it captured after it entered lunar orbit last week. The image reveals a close-up of the Moon, showing its cratered surface glimmering in the dark depths of space.The Hakuto-R mission…

After traveling through space for more than three months, Japan’s Hakuto-R lander has entered lunar orbit,as it prepares to land on the dusty surface of the Moon.On Tuesday, Tokyo-based company ispace announced that its Hakuto-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander successfully pulled off a lunar orbit insertion maneuver and is now orbiting the Moon. “While the lander has performed multiple deep space maneuver operations, this maneuver represents the longest burn performed by the propulsion system during the mission,” the company…