Japan's ispace Inc. blamed an anomaly in a laser range finder for its second unsuccessful attempt at landing a spacecraft on the moon in early June.
Japanese aerospace startup ispace Inc. announced on Tuesday that an issue with a laser range finder, used to measure altitude, led to the crash of its lunar lander, Resilience, earlier this month.
Resilience started its descent toward the moon's surface on June 6 but failed to activate the laser tool at the expected moment, preventing adequate deceleration. The craft consequently crashed at high velocity, causing a loss of signal.
This unsuccessful landing marks Ispace’s second failure after the Hakuto-R Mission 1 spacecraft similarly crashed in April 2023.
Had the Resilience mission succeeded, it would have marked the first successful moon landing by a private Asian company.
The firm stated it would collaborate with external experts and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to address the problems identified and ensure better outcomes in future lunar missions.
Hakuto-R Mission 1 initially launched successfully aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December 2022, entered lunar orbit, but lost contact during its landing attempt on April 26, 2023.
Japan’s core inflation rose to a more than two-year high in May, exceeding the central bank’s 2% target for over three years and increasing pressure on the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to resume rate hikes.
Japan has reportedly cancelled a planned high-level security meeting with the United States after Washington pressed Tokyo to increase its defense spending, according to the Financial Times.
Japanese stocks saw the largest foreign inflow in four weeks during the week ending 14 June, driven by optimism over U.S.-China trade talks and a weaker yen supporting exporters’ earnings.
South Korea and Japan have agreed to deepen their cooperation with the United States in addressing regional security challenges, including North Korea, during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, according to local media reports.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Tuesday that Japan and the United States have not reached a comprehensive tariff agreement, with key disagreements persisting between the two economic powers.
The UK will buy 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
Airlines have cancelled and rerouted flights across the Middle East as the Israel-Iran conflict escalates.
African leaders at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Luanda have called for an end to aid-based relations with the U.S., urging a stronger focus on private investment and transformative partnerships.
Bill Gates says his foundation will not compensate for funding shortfalls caused by U.S. and UK aid cuts to global vaccination efforts, warning of rising child mortality as a result.
Growers in Chile’s Atacama Desert are turning fog into water to grow crops, including lettuce and lemons, in one of the driest places on Earth.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
Britain’s competition regulator may force Google to rank businesses more fairly in search results and provide consumers with alternative services, using new powers to regulate tech giants.
Pope Leo XIV spoke to political leaders in Rome on Saturday, urging them to remember that artificial intelligence is just a tool — not a replacement for humans.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has outlined an ambitious vision for human settlements in space by 2040, with autonomous “space oases” on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
In what experts are calling the most extensive data breach in digital history, nearly 16 billion user records have been compromised globally, according to a new investigative report by Cybernews.
The UK will buy 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
Airlines have cancelled and rerouted flights across the Middle East as the Israel-Iran conflict escalates.
African leaders at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Luanda have called for an end to aid-based relations with the U.S., urging a stronger focus on private investment and transformative partnerships.
Bill Gates says his foundation will not compensate for funding shortfalls caused by U.S. and UK aid cuts to global vaccination efforts, warning of rising child mortality as a result.
Growers in Chile’s Atacama Desert are turning fog into water to grow crops, including lettuce and lemons, in one of the driest places on Earth.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment