TOKYO, 4th September, 2024 (WAM) -- Leading Japanese space startup ispace Inc. said Wednesday its lunar micro rover has arrived in Japan from Luxembourg for a series of inspections ahead of its second lunar exploration mission this winter.
Japanese news agency Kyodo News reported that the rover, named Tenacious, will be integrated into its lunar lander Resilience, and is expected to be launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The latest plan comes after the company's failed attempt in April 2023 to become the world's first private firm to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. Its lander is thought to have crashed on the Moon's surface during its final approach.
"The rover's name, Tenacious, embodies our resolve never to give up and keep making efforts," Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of ispace, said at a press conference at Haneda airport in Tokyo.
The rover, which is 54 centimetres in length and 31.5 cm in width with a height of 26 cm, weighs around 5 kilograms. The vehicle, whose frame is made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics to withstand the rocket launch, is expected to conduct surface exploration, including the collection of lunar regolith.
The rover will be transported to the United States for the planned launch after the inspections are completed, ispace said.