Japan is getting closer to the moon

 

Japan is launching a new attempt to land on the moon through iSpace, amid widespread industrial support, ambitions to build a lunar colony, and fierce Asian competition.

Japanese startup iSpace is preparing for a new lunar landing attempt tomorrow, Friday, as it seeks to become the first non-American company to carry out a controlled lunar landing, more than a year after the failure of its first mission.

This attempt represents a pivotal moment in the accelerating global race to the moon, which is witnessing escalating competition between private companies and government space programs in China, India, and the United States.

Ambitions after an initial failure

The Japanese company's first mission, in April 2023, marked a catastrophic failure when the probe crashed during the descent phase due to a software glitch that prevented accurate estimation of the altitude above the lunar surface.

However, the company did not back down. It launched its second probe, Resilience, last January, aboard a SpaceX rocket alongside the Blue Ghost spacecraft from the American company Firefly, which successfully landed in March.

International Partnership and Precision Landing

The Resilience probe is currently flying at an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers above the lunar surface, carrying a rover developed by the company's Luxembourg branch, as well as scientific equipment and electronic components from Japanese companies and a Taiwanese university, with a total estimated value of approximately $16 million.

It is scheduled to land in the Mare Frigoris region near the lunar north pole at 9:17 PM Beirut time today. If the mission is successful, images and analysis of a sample of lunar soil (regolith) will be captured as part of the first publicly announced commercial sale of lunar resources. The sample will be transferred to NASA for $5,000, according to an agreement dating back to 2020.

Japan and Expanding Space Presence

This mission reflects the widespread enthusiasm shown by Japan, both officially and through private companies, to strengthen its presence in lunar exploration programs.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of the US Artemis program under the administration of President Donald Trump, Japan continues to participate in the program and signed an agreement last year to guarantee the presence of two Japanese astronauts and a lunar rover designed by auto giant Toyota on future missions.

For its part, iSpace plans to launch seven additional missions by 2029, including a NASA-funded project to establish an integrated lunar space transportation network, paving the way for its ambitious vision of building a colony of 1,000 people on the moon by the 2040s.

Extensive Industrial Support... From Watches to Cars

The project enjoys significant support from major Japanese companies. Citizen Watch, a watchmaker, provided titanium materials, and Suzuki, a transportation company, contributed to the probe's design. Analysts believe that Japan's industrial diversity in lunar exploration may surpass that of the United States.

In this context, Kazuto Saeki, a professor at Ritsumeikan University and a member of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) SLIM mission team, believes that "Japan's presence with a company like iSpace is a major gain for its universities and companies that aspire to send equipment and research to the moon, given the increasing government support."

Last month, JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa expressed his personal support for the iSpace bid, saying its "success would be a major boost to the entire Japanese space industry."

Tokyo has launched a multibillion-dollar space investment fund.

Investor Demand

These expectations have been reflected positively in the market, with iSpace shares up nearly 60% since the beginning of the year, having fallen following the failure of the 2023 mission. The company is a symbol of the rise of the space startup sector in the Japanese market, amid growing government interest and massive funding through a new national space investment fund.

Japan... Ambitions Beyond Orbit

The iSpace bid signals the beginning of a profound transformation in Japan's space industry landscape, as the country is experiencing a boom in space technology startups, supported by government funding and participation from major industrial companies.

These companies aim to develop vehicles, satellites, and landing and exploration technologies, as part of a system that seeks to secure Japan's position in the future lunar economy. With Tokyo announcing the launch of a multi-billion-dollar space investment fund, opportunities are ripe for these companies to expand their operations not only to the Moon, but also to other planets in the future.

Intense Asian Competition

Despite the pioneering efforts led by iSpace, Japanese companies face increasing challenges from Asian competitors, particularly China and India, which have achieved tangible achievements in lunar exploration in recent years. China has successfully landed vehicles on both sides of the Moon and is preparing to launch manned missions as part of its long-term vision to exploit lunar resources.

India, meanwhile, joined the club of lunar landing nations with the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023, cementing its position as a rising space power in South Asia. This Asian advancement poses a technical and political challenge to Japan to strengthen its position in regional and international competition.