ispace prepares for first-ever landing on the moon by a private spacecraft

The Japanese company ispace has sent the Hakuto-R M1 spacecraft to the moon. It will be the first private landing module to land on our planet's natural satellite.

Here's What We Know

The Hakuto-R M1 was launched last December. It was sent into space using a SpaceX rocket that launched from the Cape Canaveral, Florida, facility.

The Hakuto-R M1 will make a landing early Wednesday morning. The final leg will take an hour. The spacecraft will be 100 km above the lunar surface and will travel at about 6,000 km/h before transitioning to landing.

Once on the surface of the satellite, the Hakuto-R M1 will then deploy the Japanese Space Agency's (JAXA) moon rover. The rover has been developed with the support of Tomy Co and Sony. Also aboard the landing module are an experimental battery developed by NGK Spark Plug Co and the UAE-owned Rashid moon rover.

Next year, ispace is planning another mission. This time, the Japanese startup will send its own rover to the moon. From 2025, the company will deliver cargo for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of a mission to establish a lunar colony.

Source: Reuters