Japan's ispace blames 'hard landing' on moon on Laser Range Finder

Yahoo

24-06-2025

June 24 (UPI) -- Japanese company ispace said Tuesday that a "hard landing" during its attempted lunar landing in early June was due to an anomaly in the Laser Range Finder.
In the analysis of the "SMBC X HAKUTO-R VENTURE MOON" mission 2 ispace said the hard landing was due to an "anomaly in the laser rangefinder hardware," and the telemetry data also revealed no issues with the lander's software or propulsion system.
The LRF unit did not provide altitude measurement until it was less than half a mile off the ground. However, it was initially designed to provide altitude data when the spacecraft was at at least about 2 miles above the surface.
Laser light reflected back to the lander, lower power of the laser, reduced performance at higher velocities or effects from the space environment, such as a vacuum or radiation are several factors that could have played a role in the performance of the LRF.
"On June 6, despite the united efforts and dedication of the ispace team, our second attempt at a lunar landing was unsuccessful, resulting in deep disappointment," said Founder and CEO of Ispace Takeshi Hakamada. "We deeply regret that we were unable to meet the expectations of our shareholders, payload customers, HAKUTO-R partners, government officials, and all others who supported us."
"Ispace will not let this be a setback. We will not stop here, but as determined pioneers of the cislunar economy, we will strive to regain the trust of all stakeholders and embark on the next mission.
Chief technology officer at ispace Ryo Ujiie said the company was taking major steps to combat the problem. One is to conduct a better testing plan to see how the laser rangefinder operates under different conditions. The second is to look into getting a different laser rangefinder.
These changes will not be in effect for missions 3 and 4, which are scheduled to launch in 2027.
"We take it very seriously," Takeshi Hakamada, chief executive of ispace, said of the failed landings of its first two missions. "However, the important part is that we keep trying. There can be some failures, but we keep improving our systems."
"Our primary goal today was to convey that ispace, as a challenger, is already moving forward towards its next mission," he said, vowing to regain the trust of its customers and other stakeholders. "We're committed to demonstrating that Ispace will continue to grow undeterred by this setback."
"We take it very seriously," Takeshi Hakamada, chief executive of ispace, said of the failed landings of its first two missions. "However, the important part is that we keep trying. There can be some failures, but we keep improving our systems."
"Our primary goal today was to convey that ispace, as a challenger, is already moving forward towards its next mission," he said, vowing to regain trust of its customers and other stakeholders. "We're committed to demonstrating that ispace will continue to grow undeterred by this setback."