Read, Watch or Listen

Ispace's lunar lander, Resilience, is set to attempt a landing on the moon's Mare Frigoris region on Thursday. This follows a five-month, low-energy trajectory, offering valuable data but potentially causing instrument wear. A successful landing would make Ispace the first non-US commercial company to achieve an upright lunar landing. The mission carries scientific instruments for experiments on algae-based food production, radiation monitoring, and water electrolysis. This contrasts with the quicker, higher-energy landings of competitors like Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines, although Ispace plans to adopt a faster approach for future missions due to customer demands.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.