Japanese Moon lander Hakuto-R launched by SpaceX

December 11, 2022

As a result of the successful launch of UAE’s “Rashid Rover” lunar rover, the rover has begun a five-month mission to the moon. Space X

The private Japanese lunar lander Hakuto-R, which is carrying the UAE lunar rover as well as other payloads, was launched yesterday from the Space Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, using the Falcon 9 rocket built by SpaceX. Both the rocket and lander were developed by the Japanese company ispace.

Next spring, if all goes according to plan, the Japanese spacecraft Hakuto-R will make its first soft landing on the moon, making it the first Japanese spacecraft to accomplish this feat.

Hakuto-R is expected to land at the Atlas crater on the southeastern edge of Mare Frigoris on the southeastern edge of the moon in April 2023. A 10kg lunar rover named Rashid, which will be the UAE’s first lunar rover, is the most notable payload on board.

A camera on the “Rashid rover” will be used for taking photos and for detecting environmental changes on the moon if it manages to reach the moon smoothly.

Nevertheless, another lander is expected to be launched by the Japanese company ispace in 2024 followed by another lander after 2025 by the same company. A primary objective of ispace is to launch lunar missions twice a year after 2025, to provide facilities for various payloads, and to contribute to the development of lunar frontier technologies. Japan will be the fourth country in the world to be able to accomplish a soft landing on the moon after the United States, the Soviet Union, and China if the landing is successful.