NASA Spacecraft Around the Moon Photographs the Crash Site of a Japanese Company’s Lunar Lander

NASA orbiter snaps photo of Japanese moon lander wreckage

A private Japanese space company said its moon-landing crash earlier this month happened for a different reason than that of its first spacecraft two years prior. A faulty altitude sensor doomed its second Hakuto-R mission attempt to land on the moon on June 5, according to Tokyo-based ispace. Now it’s bringing in outsiders to make sure it doesn’t occur again.In a post-flight analysis announced Tuesday, the company determined its Resilience land…

NASA’s LRO Views ispace HAKUTO-R Mission 2 Moon Lander Impact Site

The Japanese ispace HAKUTO-R Mission 2 was supposed to touch down gently on the Moon on June 5, 2025. Unfortunately, communications with the RESILIENCE lander were lost about 90 seconds before it should have landed, and it was assumed to have crashed on the lunar surface. Now, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured the crash site from orbit at an altitude of 80 km and confirmed where it smashed into the Moon.

NASA spots Japan's doomed 'Resilience' moon lander from orbit — and it's surrounded by far-flung debris

Spacecraft from NASA and India's space agency have snapped orbital photos of the Japanese lunar lander Resilience after its recent "hard landing" on the moon. Some of the images show pieces of the failed lander strewn across the surrounding surface.

NASA Spots Fresh Lunar Impact From Crashed Moon Mission

RESILIENCE, a privately funded spacecraft, crash-landed on the Moon on January 15, leaving a visible mark on the lunar surface. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured detailed images of the impact site, revealing a dark smudge and a bright halo caused by regolith being disturbed. These visuals highlight the raw beauty and violence of space exploration [...]

Ispace reveals cause of second lunar lander crash

Ispace concluded that the laser range finder failed to provide accurate data in the final phase of landing, leaving the lander unable to slow down in time.

NASA captures crash site of Japanese ‘Resilience’ lunar lander on the Moon

NASA's Lunar Orbiter has found the crash site of Japan's Resilience moon lander. The spacecraft reportedly lost contact during descent and hit the surface hard, leaving a dark mark.