Moon Lander Owned By Japanese Firm To Attempt History

A Japanese company will attempt the first successful private landing on the moon, and you can watch the whole thing live.

Photo Insert: The Hakuto-R spacecraft launched in December 2022 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is in a roughly circular orbit some 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface.

Should ispace’s Hakuto-R make it, the lander will be the first privately-operated spacecraft to land safely on the moon. The company plans to place the Hakuto-R lander on the moon on Tuesday (April 25) at 12:40 p.m. EDT (1640 GMT), Elizabeth Howell reported for Space.com.

The primary landing site is Atlas Crater, located at the southeastern outer edge of Mare Frigoris ("Sea of Cold"), according to earlier statements from the company.

"Should conditions change, there are three alternative landing sites, and depending on the site, the landing date may change. Alternative landing dates, depending on the operational status, are April 26, May 1, and May 3, 2023," ispace officials wrote.

The Hakuto-R spacecraft launched in December 2022 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is in a roughly circular orbit some 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface.

The spacecraft has sent numerous incredible images from orbit already. One image beamed home by Hakuto-R captured a stunning Earthrise that occurred at the same time as last week's hybrid solar eclipse.

The landing sequence will include several steps, ispace officials wrote.

"The lander will perform a braking burn, firing its main propulsion system to decelerate from orbit. Utilizing a series of pre-set commands, the lander will adjust its attitude and reduce velocity in order to make a soft landing on the lunar surface. The process will take approximately one hour."

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic