Japanese Private 'Moon Lander' Launches on 11th... If Successful, Becomes World's 4th

On the 22nd of last month (local time), the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was launched from the U.S. Space Force base in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket is carrying a French-made communications satellite.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Japan's space company 'ispace' will launch its lunar lander on the 11th from the United States.

ispace announced on the 7th that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carrying the 'Hakuto-R' Mission 1 lander will be launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 4:38 PM (2:38 AM Eastern Time) on the 11th.

The lunar lander has been undergoing charging operations while loaded on the rocket. ispace stated, "There are no issues with the lander itself, and the operational plan after launch has not changed. However, the launch schedule may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other factors."

If the rocket launches successfully on the 11th, the lander is expected to arrive on the moon around the end of April next year.

The lunar lander was originally scheduled to launch on the 28th of last month but was postponed several times due to rocket inspections and other reasons.

The lunar lander carries the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s 10 kg ultra-small rover 'Rashid' and a ball-shaped transformable robot jointly developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and toy manufacturer 'Tomy.'

If this project succeeds, Japan will become the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, following Russia, the United States, and China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.