On April 25, the Japanese private company iSpace will try to write its name into the history of cosmonautics by landing its Hakuto-R spacecraft on the Moon. The event will be broadcast live on the Internet.
Goals of the Hakuto-R mission
Hakuto-R was built by a team of engineers who once participated in the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition. After the end of the competition, they decided to continue working on the lunar vehicle project. Hakuto-R has a height of 2.3 m, a width of 2.6 m and a dry weight of 340 kg (1000 kg including fuel). It is capable of delivering a payload weighing up to 30 kg to the lunar surface.
The Japanese spacecraft was launched on December 11, 2022. Later, it carried out a number of successful maneuvers that allowed it to enter a permanent orbit around the Moon. During its journey, Hakuto-R transmitted a number of spectacular images showing both our planet and its moon.
In addition to a number of scientific instruments provided by both private and public customers, the first-ever Arab rover Rashid is also on board the Hakuto-R. The 10-kilogram spacecraft was built by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (UAE). It is designed to work for one lunar day (14 Earth days).
Live broadcast of the Moon landing
Hakuto-R will have to land on the territory of the Atlas crater. This 87-kilometer shock formation is located in the northern part of the visible side of the moon of our planet.
A live broadcast of the landing will be conducted on the Internet. It will start at 06:00 p.m. GMT+3. If everything goes well, Hakuto-R will touch the lunar surface at 07:40 p.m. GMT+3. If the operation is successful, iSpace will become the first private company in history to successfully land its spacecraft on the Moon.
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