A private Japanese moon lander crashed during descent on Friday. The Tokyo-based company Ispace confirmed the failure hours later. Although flight controllers tried to re-establish contact, they heard only silence. Therefore, they declared the mission over. Moreover, communication ended less than two minutes before the scheduled landing.

CEO Offers Apology, Vows to Continue

Later, Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada addressed the failure. He said, “This is the second time that we were not able to land. So we really have to take it very seriously.” Despite the setback, he expressed hope. He promised to move forward with future lunar missions. “Engineers did everything they possibly could,” he added.

He added that Mission 2 "SMBC x HAKUTO-R VENTURE MOON" (hereafter Mission 2) had scheduled Japan's first and Asia's first private company-led moon landing today using the RESILIENCE lander. However, as of 8:00 a.m. (Japan time) on Friday, June 6, communication with the lander could not be restored. Therefore, we have determined that completing Mission 2 Milestone "Success 9," which confirms a successful lunar landing, is difficult. Accordingly, we have decided to conclude Mission 2.

Takeshi Hakamada, CEO & Founder of ispace, stated,  "We believe it is our responsibility to swiftly analyze the telemetry data we have collected so far and work to determine the cause. Based on that, we will promptly report to everyone who supports ispace and do our utmost to regain trust."

Mission 2 “SMBC x HAKUTO-R VENTURE MOON”（以下ミッション2）のRESILIENCEランダー（月着陸船）による、民間企業として日本初、アジア初の月面着陸を本日予定しておりましたが、6月6日（金）午前8時時点（日本時間）において、ランダーとの通信の回復が見込まれず、月面着陸を確認するミッション2… pic.twitter.com/AQSJ6kW6lD

— ispace_HAKUTO-R (@ispace_HAKUTO_R) June 6, 2025

Laser Malfunction Likely Caused Crash

Meanwhile, an early investigation revealed a possible cause. According to Ispace, the laser system meant to measure altitude failed. As a result, the lander descended too quickly.

The company explained, “Based on these circumstances, it is currently assumed that the lander likely performed a hard landing on the lunar surface.”

This Was Ispace’s Second Attempt

This lander, called “Resilience,” followed Ispace’s failed 2022 attempt. Back then, the original lander also crashed. This time, Resilience carried a mini rover and a tiny red house designed by a Swedish artist.

Tenacious Rover Was Ready for Deployment

Additionally, the lander carried a 5-kg rover named Tenacious. Built in Europe, it had four wheels, a shovel, and a high-definition camera.

The rover also housed a red Swedish-style “Moonhouse.” It was meant to be placed on the moon’s surface as part of an art project.

Mission Launched with SpaceX in January

Originally launched from Florida in January, Resilience traveled a long route before reaching lunar orbit last month. It shared its SpaceX ride with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost.

Importantly, Firefly became the first private firm to land successfully on the moon in March. Soon after, Intuitive Machines also attempted a landing, but its lander crashed into a crater.

Ispace Chose a Safer Region for Landing

In contrast to south pole attempts, Ispace aimed for the moon’s northern Mare Frigoris. The area is relatively flat and free of large rocks. The team hoped to send photos and deploy the rover within hours of landing.

Company Faces Financial Constraints

Nonetheless, finances remain a challenge. Ispace didn’t share the cost of the mission, but officials said it was cheaper than the first, which cost over $100 million.

Previously, Ispace U.S. engineer Jeremy Fix stated, “We do not have infinite funds.”

More Private Attempts Are Coming

Looking ahead, two more U.S. companies—Blue Origin and Astrobotic—plan to land on the moon later this year. However, Astrobotic already failed once in 2024 when its lander missed the moon and burned up on return.

Governments Still Lead in Moon Missions

For decades, moon landings were exclusive to governments. So far, only the U.S., Russia, China, India, and Japan have achieved robotic landings.

Only the U.S. has landed humans—12 NASA astronauts between 1969 and 1972. NASA now plans to send astronauts around the moon next year, followed by a lunar landing using SpaceX’s Starship.

Meanwhile, China aims to send astronauts to the moon by 2030.

Ispace Plans Bigger Mission with NASA by 2027

Despite two failures, Ispace remains determined. It is now working on a larger lunar lander set to launch by 2027 with NASA’s support. Hakamada said this failed attempt was “merely a stepping stone.”