US and Japanese companies have collaborated to send lunar landing modules to the Moon, showcasing private sector advancement in space exploration.
SpaceX scheduled the Falcon 9 rocket launch for 6:11 GMT on Wednesday (15) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with favorable weather conditions expected.
Two unmanned landing modules from private companies Blue Ghost, Firefly Aerospace, and ispace Resilience will be onboard, with the latter also deploying a microrover. They aim to replicate the achievement of Texas-based Intuitive Machines, the first company to successfully land on the Moon last year.
Until recently, only a few well-funded space agencies were conducting soft landings, beginning with the Soviet Union in 1996. Now, American companies are aiming to achieve similar success through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
The United States aims to establish a continuous human presence on the Moon by the end of this decade through the Artemis program, utilizing commercial partners to supply essential equipment at a significantly reduced cost compared to government-run missions.
The initial landing endeavor by ispace in Japan led to a “forced landing” on the Moon in April 2023. The founder and CEO, Takeshi Hakamada, expressed the significance of embracing failure, learning from it, and persevering in future challenges.
Blue Ghost will be deployed from Falcon 9 before Resilience, according to Space X executive Julianna Scheiman. Resilience will follow approximately 30 minutes later.
The Blue Ghost has a 45-day deadline to reach the Moon, while the Resilience will need at least four months to reach its destination at the Moon’s northern end.