DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Japan's lunar startup ispace delays NASA-sponsored mission to 2026
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Japan's lunar transport startup ispace inc (9348.T) said on Thursday it would postpone a future moon landing mission by a year to 2026 to better prepare for a commission by U.S. agency NASA, as well as deal with component supply delays. Tokyo-based ispace attempted its first lunar landing with the Hakuto-R Mission 1 spacecraft in April, which failed due to an altitude miscalculation. The U.S. unit of ispace, which has partnered with spacecraft software developer Draper to build lunar landers, has also encountered procurement delays for some parts, Hakamada said. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, a MS&AD (8725.T) unit, paid 3.7 billion yen last month to ispace for Hakuto-R Mission 1's failure. The unsuccessful landing resulted in a steep sell-off, but the shares have since recovered, closing on Thursday at 1,401 yen.

Persons: ispace, Takeshi Hakamada, Draper, Hakamada, Kantaro Komiya, Himani Sarkar, Miral Organizations: U.S, NASA, Financial Times, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, U.S

☆ Japanese Moon Lander Crashed Because It Was Still Three Miles Up, Not on the Ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The Beresheet lander, from an Israeli nonprofit named SpaceIL, launched to the moon in 2019, but it crashed. The Indian Space Research Organization attempted to land a lunar spacecraft the same year, too, and that vehicle, Vikram, also crashed. Only China has landed robotic spacecraft on the moon recently, with three successes in three attempts over the past decade. Ispace had obtained insurance for the lander, and the financial impacts on the company would be small, Mr. Hakamada said. The Indian space agency also announced this week that Chandrayaan-3, a follow-up to its moon landing attempt in 2019, could launch as early as July 12.

Persons: ”, Ryo Ujiie, “, Vikram, Takeshi Hakamada, ” Mr, Hakamada, Ispace Organizations: Draper Laboratory of Cambridge, NASA, Lunar Reconnaissance, Indian Space Research Organization, Technology, Pittsburgh, Houston Locations: China

☆ Japan’s Ispace reveals why its lunar lander crashed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“While the lander estimated its own altitude to be zero, or on the lunar surface, it was later determined to be at an altitude of approximately 5 kms (3.1 miles) above the lunar surface,” according to Ispace’s news release. The company received valuable data to fine-tune its lunar lander design for another attempt, Hakamada said. The lunar lander was carrying the Rashid rover — the first Arab-built lunar spacecraft, which was developed by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Even before the failed landing attempt, Ispace had been bracing for mishaps. That same year, the Indian Space and Research Organisation lost contact with a lunar lander shortly before it was slated to touch down on the moon.

☆ Japanese ispace moon landing attempt falls short at 'very end,' CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Earth rises above the surface of the moon, as seen from the company's lander in lunar orbit in April 2023. Japanese lunar exploration company ispace attempted to land its first cargo mission on the moon on Tuesday, but lost communication with the spacecraft and has deemed the attempt unsuccessful, CEO Takeshi Hakamada said. "We have not been able to confirm a successful landing on the lunar surface," Hakamada said, speaking from Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo-based company's Mission 1 lunar lander was aiming to softly touch down around 12:40 p.m. "We have to assume that we could not complete the landing on the lunar surface," Hakamada said.

[1/6] Takeshi Hakamada, "ispace" 's founder and chief executive, is pictured at a venue to watch landing of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, April 25 (Reuters) - Japanese startup ispace (9348.T) said its attempt to make the first private moon landing had failed on Tuesday after losing contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander, concluding it had most likely crashed on the lunar surface. The M1 lander appeared set to autonomously touch down about 12:40 p.m. Eastern time (1640 GMT Tuesday) after coming as close as 295 feet (90 meters) from the lunar surface, a live animation of the lander's telemetry showed. The company said in a statement Wednesday in Japan that it believes the spacecraft may have made a "hard landing" on the lunar surface. The M1 also carried an experimental solid-state battery made by NGK Spark Plug Co (5334.T), among other objects to gauge how they perform on the moon.

[1/6] Takeshi Hakamada, "ispace" 's founder and chief executive, is pictured at a venue to watch landing of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. But a lunar landing would be an ambitious feat for a private firm. The Japanese firm "determined that there is a high probability that the lander eventually made a hard landing." In disclosure to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, ispace said it did not expect an immediate impact on its earnings forecast. The lander completed eight out of 10 mission objectives in space that will provide valuable data for the next landing attempt in 2024, Hakamada said.

☆ Japanese Company’s Spacecraft Is Lost During Moon Landing Attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Japanese company has lost contact with a small robotic spacecraft it was sending to the moon, a signal that it may have crashed into the lunar surface. After firing its main engine, the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander built by Ispace of Japan dropped out of lunar orbit. About an hour later, at 12:40 p.m. Eastern time, the lander, about 7.5 feet tall, was expected to land in Atlas Crater, a 54-mile-wide feature in the northeast quadrant of the near side of the moon. But after the time of touchdown, no signal was received from the spacecraft. “At this moment, we have not been able to confirm successful landing on the lunar surface,” said Takeshi Hakamada, the chief executive of Ispace, a half-hour after the scheduled landing time.

☆ Japanese company ispace fears its probe crashed into the moon, failing to snag the first private lunar landing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese company ispace fears its lunar lander crashed into the moon on Tuesday. The HAKUTO-R M1 lunar lander dropped out of communications at the very end of its landing attempt. That operation was conducted by nonprofit SpaceIL, in its own attempt to claim the first private moon landing. Beresheet's engine went out as it descended, then SpaceIL lost communication with the spacecraft, indicating it had crashed into the lunar surface. NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University; Business InsiderJust months later, India's first attempt to land on the lunar surface met a similar fate.

☆ Commercial lunar lander presumed lost after historic moon landing attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A Japanese lunar lander, carrying a rover developed in the United Arab Emirates, attempted to find its footing on the moon’s surface Tuesday — and potentially mark the world’s first lunar landing for a commercially developed spacecraft. The lunar lander, called Hakuto-R, was carrying the Rashid rover — the first Arab-built lunar spacecraft, which was built by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. Israel-based company SpaceIL was the first XPrize contestant to attempt to put its lander on the moon after the program ended. Its Beresheet spacecraft crashed in 2019 after ground teams lost contact with the lander as it approached the surface. That same year, the Indian Space and Research Organisation lost contact with a lunar lander shortly before it was slated to touch down on the moon.

☆ SpaceX launches lunar lander for Japanese venture ispace, which aims to create an economy around the moon
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japanese lunar exploration company ispace began its long-anticipated first mission on Sunday, with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching the venture's lunar lander from Florida. The Tokyo-based company's Mission 1 is currently on its way to the moon, with a landing expected near the end of April. Founded more than a decade ago, ispace originated as a team competing for the Google Lunar Xprize under the name Hakuto – after a mythological Japanese white rabbit. The investors of ispace include the Development Bank of Japan, Suzuki Motor, Japan Airlines, and Airbus Ventures. The ispace Mission 1 lander carries small rovers and payloads for a number of government agencies and companies – including from the U.S., Canada, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Search resuls for: "Takeshi Hakamada"

10 mentions found