In a groundbreaking mission, SpaceX launched two lunar landers early Wednesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, aiming to propel U.S. and Japanese companies into the burgeoning lunar economy. The mission marks a collaborative effort to reduce costs by sharing the ride, with both landers parting ways an hour into the flight to embark on their respective monthslong journeys to the moon.
For ispace, the Tokyo-based company, this mission represents a second chance after its initial lander crashed two years ago. This time, the lander, named Resilience, carries a rover equipped with a scoop to collect lunar soil for analysis and to test potential food and water sources for future explorers. The lander is set to touch down at Mare Frigoris in late May or early June.
Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is making its lunar debut with its Blue Ghost lander, named after a species of fireflies native to the U.S. Southeast. Carrying 10 NASA experiments, Blue Ghost is expected to reach the moon first, aiming for an early March touchdown at Mare Crisium. The experiments include a vacuum for soil collection, a drill for sub-surface temperature measurements, and a device to prevent lunar dust from damaging spacesuits and equipment.
Both ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada and Firefly CEO Jason Kim emphasized the non-competitive nature of the mission. “We don’t think this is a race,” Hakamada remarked, highlighting the focus on the mission’s success rather than speed. Kim, acknowledging the inherent challenges, carried an Irish shamrock for luck, underscoring the complexity of lunar landings.
The mission underscores the growing interest in lunar exploration, with only five countries having successfully landed on the moon since the 1960s. The U.S. remains the only nation to have sent astronauts, with NASA’s Artemis program planning to return humans to the lunar surface by the end of the decade. Nicky Fox, NASA’s science mission chief, noted the importance of sending scientific and technological missions ahead of human landings.
Upon successful landings, both landers will operate for two weeks in constant daylight before shutting down at night. ispace’s rover will perform localized explorations near the lander, with a unique addition of a toy-sized red house by a Swedish artist. NASA has invested $101 million in Firefly’s mission, alongside $44 million for the experiments. While ispace has not disclosed the exact cost of its mission, it confirmed it is less than the $100 million spent on its first attempt.
The lunar exploration efforts continue, with Houston-based Intuitive Machines preparing for its second moon mission by the end of February. Following its historic U.S. lunar landing near the south pole last year, the company aims to build on its success.
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