In a historic milestone for private space exploration, Japanese startup Dymon Co. has launched its ultra-compact moon rover, Yaoki, marking the world's first private lunar exploration mission.
The rover was sent into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, according to local media reports.
Yaoki, weighing just 498 grams and measuring approximately 14 centimeters in length and width with a height of 8 centimeters, is set to reach the lunar south pole in early March. Named after the Japanese proverb "nana korobi, ya oki"—meaning "fall seven times, get up eight"—the rover is designed to repeatedly right itself if it tips over, symbolizing resilience in the face of challenges.
Around 50 spectators gathered at the Space Travelium TeNQ museum in Tokyo to watch a live broadcast of the launch, underscoring the event's significance for Japan’s burgeoning private space sector. Once Yaoki lands on the lunar surface, it will spend approximately five days acclimatizing to the harsh temperature conditions before being deployed.
After this critical period, the rover will be remotely operated from Earth for several hours, during which it is expected to capture and transmit high-resolution images of the lunar terrain. Dymon Co. aims to pave the way for private companies to contribute to lunar exploration, setting a new precedent in the rapidly evolving space industry.
Azerbaijan is an active member of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), and hosting the 17th ECO Summit in the country highlights its growing r...
A delegation from Azerbaijan, led by MP Qaya Məmmədov, took part in the annual session of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Pa...
Chinese scientists have unveiled PlantGPT, the first large language model-based artificial intelligence designed specifically for plant functional gen...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical level and called fo...
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is not confident about reaching a trade agreement with Japan, warning that talks are unlikely to succeed before the 9 July deadline.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signalled no intention of easing hefty auto tariffs on Japan, reaffirming a hard-line trade stance just days before a critical deadline on country-specific tariffs expires.
The man behind one of Japan’s most disturbing serial murder cases—dubbed the ‘Twitter killer’—has been executed, breaking a nearly three-year pause in the country’s use of capital punishment.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
Scientists have captured the first clear image of a rare double-detonation supernova, where a white dwarf star is destroyed by two rapid explosions, producing key elements such as calcium and iron.
The UK Space Agency has launched a new process to tackle the growing threat of space debris, initiating a £75.6 million tender for the country’s first mission to actively remove defunct satellites from orbit.
Europe’s new-generation weather satellite, Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder 1 (MTG-S1), successfully launched into space from the U.S. Cape Canaveral base.
Over the past year, 162 asteroids flew closer to Earth than the Moon. NASA and ESA warn only 40% of dangerous objects have been identified, with one asteroid posing a small risk of hitting the Moon in 2032.
A Chinese firm has launched what it claims is the country’s first 24/7 intelligent laser weeding robot, aiming to phase out chemical herbicides and cut agricultural pollution at its source.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment