Japan iSpace is one of the top private space agencies advancing space exploration goals since it was founded in 2010. The private spaceflight agency recently unveiled its micro rover that will be flying to the moon in 2024.
The mini rover will reach the moon during iSpace’s second moon mission. The company hopes to launch the mission in winter 2024. During this forthcoming mission, the micro rover will fly to the moon inside the payload bay stacked atop iSpace’s mission 2 lander.
What you should know about this Micro rover japan iSpace is about to launch to the moon
The micro rover is about 21.26 inches (54 cm) long, 10.24 inches (26 centimeters) tall and 12.4 inches (31.5 cm) wide. It weighs about 11 pounds (5 kilograms). The mini rover will explore the lunar surface carrying a forward-mounted HD camera.
With this sophisticated camera, the rover will capture detailed images of moon dirt that it will scoop up with its shovel. iSpace remained optimistic about the fascinating job this micro rover will execute on the lunar surface when it finally touches down.
“Continuous mission operations are essential to provide lunar transportation and data services, so I am pleased to announce the progress we have made on the Mission 2 lander flight model and the final design of the micro rover,” Takeshi Hakamada, iSpace founder and CEO, said in a statement on Nov. 16.
iSpace Past Effort and Next Bold Step
iSpace is not new to launching payloads to the moon. The Japanese company launched its first moon mission named the Hakuto-R Lander in December 2022. The spacecraft traveled for months before attempting to land on the moon in April 2023. However, the lander’s onboard computer miscalculated its altitude, causing it to end in a crash landing.
Hence, the company is currently preparing for its second moon landing attempt with its mission 2. Note that the mission 2 preparation is based on the Hakuto-R lander. This implies that it weighs about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg) during liftoff.
iSpace officials reveal that they are implementing the lessons learned during its first moon landing attempt earlier this year to its forthcoming mission. This implies that the new mission will be flying to the moon with improved software and other sophisticated upgrades in spacecraft design.
iSpace named its Mission 2 lander ‘Resilience,’ to match the company’s motto, “Never Quit the Lunar Quest.” The company plans to carry about five payloads to the lunar surface during the Mission 2 moon landing attempt. Aside from this futuristic plan, iSpace is also preparing for its Mission 3 which will launch in 2026.
This future mission will deploy the new massive Apex 1.0 lunar lander, which comes with a projected payload capacity of 1,100 pounds (500 kg).
Conclusion
Japanese iSpace recently unveiled its micro rover that will be flying to the moon in 2024. The mini rover will reach the moon during iSpace’s second moon mission. What do you think about this effort?
