Tech Desk 
Jun 06, 2025
In a groundbreaking leap in the realm of space exploration, a Japanese startup, ispace, is reportedly gearing up to attempt a lunar landing on Friday with its unmanned lander, Resilience, two years following a botched moon landing, which resulted in a crash on the planet’s surface.
In case of a successful attempt, this would mark only the third completed private mission to ever safely land on the moon and the first by a non-US company.
ispace's moon landing is scheduled for 4:17am (Japan time) on Friday (1917 GMT on Thursday). The event will be streamed live on the aerospace firm's official website, Dawn reported.
ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada expressed confidence in preparations and stated: “Resilience is ready to attempt a historic landing on the moon,” and highlighted the operational experience gained from their first mission and the ongoing retake.
It's worth a mention that only five nations have achieved soft landings on the moon: the Soviet Union, the US, China, India, and Japan. Numerous other private companies are also engaged in providing more affordable and frequent space exploration opportunities.
Despite its craft landing at an incorrect angle, Houston-based Intuitive Machines became the first private entity to land on the moon last year.
It's observed that landing on the moon is not without significant challenges, as it requires precise control of thrusters to manage descent.
