Hakuto

Odysseus snapped a selfie during its journey to the Moon.Photo: Intuitive MachinesAfter an eight-day journey through space, Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission is ready to attempt a potentially historic landing on the surface of the Moon. Odysseus will try for a lunar touchdown on Thursday at 5:49 p.m. ET near the Malapert A crater in the Moon’s South Pole region. China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonIntuitive Machines will host a live stream of the landing on its website, and NASA will also air its own live coverage…

A new mission is headed towards the Moon, with hopes of touching down on the lunar surface for a chance at a historic landing. But given the recent string of failures, we’re understandably nervous.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonOn Wednesday, Intuitive Machine is set to launch its Nova-C lander on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The liftoff is scheduled for 12:57 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Houston-based company is hoping to be the first to put a…

Astrobotic’s Peregrine is gearing up for a chance to land on the Moon, hoping to become the first commercial lunar lander to touchdown on the dusty surface of the celestial body and pave the way for other private ventures to follow.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonThe lunar lander will ride on board United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur, which is scheduled for liftoff on Monday, January 8, at 2:18 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The historic launch will be broadcast live on NASA Television, the NASA app,…

A second stage engine destined for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Epsilon S rocket exploded during a test on Friday, spewing fire and smoke, and severely damaging the test facility, located in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, in northeastern Japan. It’s yet another setback for Japan’s suddenly-floundering spaceflight industry. Finding Uhura’s Confidence in Strange New Worlds | io9 InterviewThe explosion occurred at JAXA’s testing site, Reuters reported based on a statement by an official at Japan’s Education, Science and…

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…

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…