Japanese Ispace will try to land lunar rover on Moon: What new features does it have?

Despite the initial failure in Ispace's attempt to land a rover on the Moon, the Japanese company is forging ahead with plans for a second mission. According to a statement from Ispace's CEO, as reported by Bloomberg, the upcoming mission is set to be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the upcoming winter.

"While our first attempt to land on the Moon may not have succeeded, the experience gained and the data collected are invaluable," said Takeshi Hakamada, the head of the company.

The new lunar lander is named Resilience and will carry a water electrolyzer, a module for experiments in food production, a probe for studying the deep space, a metal plate featuring an image from the Japanese anime series Gundam, and a miniature lunar rover developed by Ispace.

The lunar rover, weighing approximately 5 kg and standing at a height of 26 cm, is equipped with a high-resolution camera for capturing the Moon's surface and a shovel for collecting soil samples. The European division of Ispace, responsible for the rover's development and construction, emphasized the goal of making the rover as compact and lightweight as possible.

Julien Lamamy, the head of Ispace Europe, stated, "Every gram matters. Despite being small and cute, it is also very robust."

The company highlighted that they will completely overhaul the flight model for "Mission 2." This overhaul will include software verification, a broader range of landing simulation, and increased navigation accuracy through additional field tests of radar sensors.

Founded in 2010, Ispace aims to establish a lunar settlement by 2040, generating revenue by delivering products and equipment to the Moon.