US, Japanese Lunar Landers Ready to Launch on SpaceX Rocket

Photo : Reuters

SpaceX is getting ready to send a rocket into space from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday at 1:11 am (0611 GMT). The rocket will carry two uncrewed lunar landers built by companies from the U.S. and Japan. These landers are Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s Resilience. ispace’s Resilience will also release a small rover to explore the Moon.

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This mission is special because it shows how private companies are playing a bigger role in space travel. The two landers will travel together to the Moon. Last year, a company called Intuitive Machines was the first private company to land on the Moon successfully, and now other companies are trying to do the same.

This mission is part of NASA’s plan to let private companies help with space missions. The U.S. wants to have astronauts stay on the Moon in the future through the Artemis program. Companies like Firefly and ispace will help bring tools and equipment for these future missions.

Jason Kim, the CEO of Firefly Aerospace, said, "Firefly is ready for launch. Let’s go ghost riders in the sky!" Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander will carry 10 NASA tools that will study the Moon’s surface and dust. It will take about 45 days to reach the Moon and land in a volcanic area called Mare Crisium.

The Japanese company ispace’s Resilience lander will take 4 to 5 months to reach the Moon. It will land in an area called Mare Frigoris. One exciting part of this mission is the small rover named Tenacious. This rover will try to collect Moon dust and rocks. It also has a small red “Moonhouse” made by a Swedish artist named Mikael Genberg.

Landing on the Moon is difficult. The landers have to avoid rocks and craters. Since the Moon has no air, they can’t use parachutes. They will use thrusters to land safely. A big challenge is to make sure the landers stay upright when they land. If they tip over, they might not be able to finish their work. In April 2024, Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander tipped over and couldn’t do all its work. Japan’s SLIM lander also landed at an angle in March 2024, causing problems with its solar panels.

This mission will teach us a lot about the Moon and how we can explore it in the future. Both private companies and space agencies are working together, which will help us learn more about the Moon.