A model of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program by "ispace" is pictured at a venue to monitor its landing on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoonfailed Hakuto-R moon landing mission last month was caused by an altitude miscalculation that meant the spacecraft ran out of fuel, the company said on Friday.
After launching its Hakuto-R lander aboard a SpaceX rocket with much fanfare in December, ispace shares made a blistering debut on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in April. But during the final landing phase in the early hours of April 26, ispace lost contact with the craft. An ispace investigation showed that after the vehicle passed over a large lunar cliff, a sensor software glitch caused a discrepancy between its actual and expected altitude, and after its fuel ran out, it plummeted the last 5 kilometres to the moon's surface.
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