Japan’s 1st Moon Lander Suffers Communication Failure After Launch

Japan’s space agency said Thursday that communication with its moon lander Omotenashi was lost after launching from the NASA center the previous day, and that it was working to stabilize its position.

NASA on Wednesday launched its unmanned spacecraft, Artemis 1, carrying the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Omotenashi lander and Equuleus satellite.

JAXA said the two devices successfully separated from the U.S. spacecraft on the same day and confirmed the Equuleus was operating normally in space. But it could not establish communication with Omotenashi.

“Omotenashi also separated on November 16 (JST), but currently the CubeSat has not completed sun acquisition and communication is not stable,” the space agency said in a statement.

“We are therefore continuing operations to stabilize attitude, secure power, and establish communication,” it added.

The Omotenashi lander was supposed to touch down on the lunar surface at 180 kilometers per hour (112 miles) while the Equuleus nanosatellite headed for the moon’s far side, Kyodo News reported.

JAXA earlier predicted a 60 percent chance of mission success. Omotenashi is the world’s smallest moon lander, measuring 11 centimeters in length, 24 centimeters in width, and 37 centimeters in height.

Meanwhile, the Artemis I mission marked the first flight for the combined Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, inaugurating NASA’s Artemis exploration program 50 years after the final Apollo moon mission.

About 90 minutes after launch, the rocket’s upper stage fired thrusters for a “trans-lunar injection” burn, propelling Orion out of Earth orbit on course for the moon.

The Artemis I mission signals a major change in direction for NASA’s post-Apollo human spaceflight program after decades focused on low-Earth orbit with space shuttles and the International Space Station.

JAXA’s inclusion in the mission was consistent with the goal of the United States and Japan to expand civil space cooperation. President Joe Biden said on May 23 that a Japanese astronaut would board NASA’s Artemis mission to the moon.

Japan has an extensive space program, mainly focused on developing launchers and space probes. But the country doesn’t have a human flight program and has relied on the United States and Russia to carry its astronauts into space.

NASA said it sees JAXA as a “critical partner” on the International Space Station and the Artemis project.

Reuters contributed to this report.