Get the latest tech news

Second ispace craft has probably crash-landed on Moon


Early investigations by the Japanese company identified issues with speed and a sensor measuring the craft's altitude.

When M1 crashed, Ryo Ujiie, ispace’s chief technology officer said the telemetry — which collects data on the craft’s altitude and speed — estimated that M1 was on the surface when it wasn’t, causing the lander to free fall. Had M2 landed successfully, the craft would have supplied electricity for its cargo, including water electrolyzing equipment and a module for food production experiments — developed by Japan-based Takasago Thermal Engineering and biotechnology firm Euglena. The rover, created by ispace’s European subsidiary in Luxemburg, was going to be released from the lander to collect imagery, location data and lunar sand known as regolith.

Get the Android app

Or read this on Hacker News

Read more on:

Photo of Moon

Moon

Photo of Crash

Crash

Photo of Second ispace craft

Second ispace craft

Related news:

News photo

Resilience Spacecraft Likely Crashed Into the Moon, Ispace Confirms

News photo

Japan's latest Moon landing written off as a failure after ispace probe goes dark

News photo

Europe will have to be more Tenacious to land its first rover on the moon