Japanese company blames laser malfunction for second moon crash
- ispace's lunar lander Resilience crashed due to a malfunctioning laser range finder.
- This incident is the second crash for ispace in two years, following a prior failure in 2023.
- Despite the setbacks, ispace plans to continue its lunar missions with future attempts scheduled for 2027.
In June 2025, a Japanese company called ispace announced that their lunar lander, known as Resilience, crashed into the moon. This unfortunate event took place while the lander was attempting to navigate to Mare Frigoris, a region on the moon's far north known as the Sea of Cold. The company officials revealed that the malfunction occurred due to a laser navigation tool that failed to accurately measure the distance to the lunar surface. The incident marked ispace’s second unsuccessful lunar landing attempt, with the first crash occurring just two years prior in 2023. During the final stages of descent, Resilience was traveling at a rapid 138 feet (42 meters) per second when contact was lost, leading to a crash landing mere seconds later. This incident followed an earlier crash that also involved poor software performance during the lander's descent, showcasing a troubling pattern for the company. Their first lander's crash resulted from similar issues, which prompted scrutiny regarding ispace's operational procedures and technologies employed in their lunar missions. The recent crash was particularly significant as it drew attention to the challenges faced by private lunar exploration companies, many of which are racing to achieve successful landings on the moon amid a backdrop of limited successful attempts. Among seven documented private moon landing attempts, only one achieved success when Firefly Aerospace managed to land its Blue Ghost lander in March 2025, highlighting the competitive nature of space exploration. Despite their setbacks, ispace's CEO and founder, Takeshi Hakamada, expressed unwavering determination to continue pursuing lunar exploration. The company is already planning a third attempt in 2027, collaborating with NASA, and has outlined a fourth mission as well. Hakamada emphasized the importance of regaining customers' trust, indicating a firm commitment to overcoming the technical challenges encountered and advancing toward future missions.