Japanese outfit's private Moon mission enters Lunar orbit
(2023/03/23)
- Reference: 1679549467
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/03/23/japanese_private_moonshot_hakutor/
- Source link:
The possibility of the world's first successful privately funded and operated Moon landing is looking a little more likely after Japanese aerospace outfit ispace announced its Hakuto-R lander successfully completed a lunar orbit insertion maneuver on Tuesday.
The lander took a three-month journey to the Moon after [1]launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in December 2022. According to an [2]ispace press release , it performed multiple deep space maneuvers – the latest of which "represents the longest burn performed by the propulsion system during the mission."
Landing is scheduled for late April.
[3]
A nifty video from ispace depicts the spacecraft's journey:
[4]
[5]
[6]YouTube Video
Within Hakuto-R's payload lies a first for another nation: the United Arab Emirates' first Moon mission, the Rashid rover.
[7]
Also onboard is a lunar camera from Candensys Aerospace and an AI flight computer from Mission Control Services, both of which are Canadian.
So exciting! We're so close to landing and deploying [8]#MoonNet on the lunar surface! [9]https://t.co/YlAAJyHf4M [10]https://t.co/lfdXnXCQvj — Mission Control (@MissionCtrlSS) [11]March 22, 2023
NASA's lunar flashlight is also hitching a ride, as is [12]SORA-Q – a transformable robot built by a partnership between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Doshisha University, Sony, and Japanese toy company Tomy. It's no toy, though – SORA-Q is a miniature lunar rover.
"Future ispace missions will involve deployment of satellites into lunar orbit," said ispace.
The ambitious biz said it is in "active negotiations" with a number of global entities for both future lunar landings and transport to orbit.
[13]As one mission returns to Earth, three more make for the Moon
[14]Anyone want an International Space Station? Slightly used
[15]SpaceX grounds Falcon 9 carrying first private lunar lander
[16]Japan Post closer to replacing snail mail with autonomous drones
Second and third missions are already planned. Hakuto-R Mission 2, which includes a lunar lander and rover, is expected to launch in 2024.
Mission 3 is slated for 2025 and is a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which seeks to outsource Moon transport services to private industry.
"During Mission 3, two relay satellites are planned to be injected into lunar orbit to establish communications with the landing site on the far side of the Moon," said ispace. "The valuable data and know-how gained from today's operation is being incorporated into mission planning for Mission 3 in order to enhance technical reliability."
[17]
A previous private moonshot, the Israeli "Beresheet" mission, made it to the moon but crashed-landed in [18]2019 . ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/12/orion_returns/
[2] https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=4460
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53Pjh5o1XA
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoonNet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9] https://t.co/YlAAJyHf4M
[10] https://t.co/lfdXnXCQvj
[11] https://twitter.com/MissionCtrlSS/status/1638523673559592960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://fb.watch/jrAwhr8so5/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/12/orion_returns/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/15/nasa_to_deorbit_iss/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/30/spacex_falcon_moon_landing/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/14/japan_post_wing_drones/
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2019/04/12/spacex_lunar_probe/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The lander took a three-month journey to the Moon after [1]launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in December 2022. According to an [2]ispace press release , it performed multiple deep space maneuvers – the latest of which "represents the longest burn performed by the propulsion system during the mission."
Landing is scheduled for late April.
[3]
A nifty video from ispace depicts the spacecraft's journey:
[4]
[5]
[6]YouTube Video
Within Hakuto-R's payload lies a first for another nation: the United Arab Emirates' first Moon mission, the Rashid rover.
[7]
Also onboard is a lunar camera from Candensys Aerospace and an AI flight computer from Mission Control Services, both of which are Canadian.
So exciting! We're so close to landing and deploying [8]#MoonNet on the lunar surface! [9]https://t.co/YlAAJyHf4M [10]https://t.co/lfdXnXCQvj — Mission Control (@MissionCtrlSS) [11]March 22, 2023
NASA's lunar flashlight is also hitching a ride, as is [12]SORA-Q – a transformable robot built by a partnership between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Doshisha University, Sony, and Japanese toy company Tomy. It's no toy, though – SORA-Q is a miniature lunar rover.
"Future ispace missions will involve deployment of satellites into lunar orbit," said ispace.
The ambitious biz said it is in "active negotiations" with a number of global entities for both future lunar landings and transport to orbit.
[13]As one mission returns to Earth, three more make for the Moon
[14]Anyone want an International Space Station? Slightly used
[15]SpaceX grounds Falcon 9 carrying first private lunar lander
[16]Japan Post closer to replacing snail mail with autonomous drones
Second and third missions are already planned. Hakuto-R Mission 2, which includes a lunar lander and rover, is expected to launch in 2024.
Mission 3 is slated for 2025 and is a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which seeks to outsource Moon transport services to private industry.
"During Mission 3, two relay satellites are planned to be injected into lunar orbit to establish communications with the landing site on the far side of the Moon," said ispace. "The valuable data and know-how gained from today's operation is being incorporated into mission planning for Mission 3 in order to enhance technical reliability."
[17]
A previous private moonshot, the Israeli "Beresheet" mission, made it to the moon but crashed-landed in [18]2019 . ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/12/orion_returns/
[2] https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=4460
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53Pjh5o1XA
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoonNet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9] https://t.co/YlAAJyHf4M
[10] https://t.co/lfdXnXCQvj
[11] https://twitter.com/MissionCtrlSS/status/1638523673559592960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://fb.watch/jrAwhr8so5/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/12/orion_returns/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/15/nasa_to_deorbit_iss/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/30/spacex_falcon_moon_landing/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/14/japan_post_wing_drones/
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZBwxVqw6KKisGDIVn7c3oQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2019/04/12/spacex_lunar_probe/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Well done
midgepad
So far
Japanese transformable robot on the Moon
Wellyboot
Why? - Because they could
Wish there were more info on the transfer orbit
KittenHuffer
My first thought would be - How does going nearly 4 times the distance past the Moon give a lower energy transfer than going direct?
My best guess would be that out there you can start thrusting sideways to gain orbital velocity, and then by diving in toward the Moon's orbit you can more cheaply match the Moon's orbital speed and position than if you try to gain all of the orbital speed whilst on the way out to the Moon.
If that's the case then hats off to the boffin that came up with that one.
Re: Wish there were more info on the transfer orbit
Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese
going nearly 4 times the distance past the Moon
The satnav in my car gets really annoyed if I go past a junction by a few metres - the navigation do-dah in there must be absolutely apoplectic
Lunatic Mission
Landing on the moon should be similar to falling out of a tree when a branch breaks: you hold on to the branch and then you climb off just before it hits the ground.