ispace, a global lunar exploration company, has announced that its Mission 2, featuring the RESILIENCE lunar lander and TENACIOUS micro rover, is scheduled to launch no earlier than December 2024. This announcement was made on Japan's national Space Day, marking a significant milestone in the company's lunar exploration journey.
ispace’s RESILIENCE lunar lander at a JAXA facility in Tsukuba, Japan is scheduled to launch no earlier than december. Image Credit: iSpace
The RESILIENCE lunar lander has undergone significant development progress, with assembly and integration complete. Testing of the structure thermal model began in 2023 at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center. Various tests of the RESILIENCE flight model have been conducted and successfully completed since May 2024. The lander is now ready for shipping to Cape Canaveral, Fla., where it will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
In addition to the lander's progress, the TENACIOUS micro rover, developed and assembled by ispace EUROPE S.A., was shipped from Luxembourg to Japan and integrated into the lander's payload bay in August 2024. The rover is designed to explore the lunar surface and conduct scientific experiments.
ispace has also announced the primary landing site for Mission 2, which will be near the center of Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold), 60.5 degrees north latitude and 4.6 degrees west longitude. This site meets the technical specifications and exploration objectives for the TENACIOUS micro rover and other payload customers.
The company has revealed its final payload customer for Mission 2, the "Moonhouse," an artistic project by Mikael Genberg. This unique payload will travel to the Moon and be deployed on the lunar surface. Additionally, five other payloads have been integrated and are prepared for launch, including water electrolyzer equipment, a self-contained module for food production experiments, a deep space radiation probe, a commemorative alloy plate, and ispace's TENACIOUS micro rover.
The launch of Mission 2 marks a significant step forward for ispace and its lunar exploration ambitions. With the RESILIENCE lander and TENACIOUS micro rover, the company aims to expand humanity's presence in space and push the boundaries of lunar exploration. As Takeshi Hakamada, Founder & CEO of ispace, stated, "I am very happy to announce that the RESILIENCE lander assembly and integration is complete, and we are on schedule for our planned launch no earlier than this December."
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