In the realm of lunar exploration, a bold new chapter is unfolding as the Japanese lander pioneer, ispace, has officially unveiled its intriguing plan: the upcoming mission, known as Resilience, will hitch a ride aboard the same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that is slated to debut Firefly Aerospace’s inaugural lunar lander, the Blue Ghost 1.
In a compelling online presentation held on December 17, Takeshi Hakamada, the visionary founder and CEO of ispace, caught the audience’s attention by revealing that both missions are set to launch within a tight six-day timeframe in mid-January. This shared launch opportunity marks a significant shift from previous expectations that had the two companies embarking on separate journeys to the moon.
“The Falcon 9 rocket will not only transport the ispace Resilience lander, but it will also facilitate another private endeavor aimed at lunar exploration,” Hakamada articulated. Visually engaging on-screen graphics confirmed that the second co-passenger would indeed be Firefly’s Blue Ghost.
Bloomberg first broke the intriguing news on December 11, citing sources well-acquainted with the enigmatic launch manifest. Initially, it was presumed that both companies would launch independently, reminiscent of ispace’s earlier lunar venture that took flight two years back. When asked about the collaboration, a deafening silence followed, as both companies refrained from commenting, leaving inquiries directed at SpaceX—who, predictably, remained reticent.
During the same NASA media teleconference, the elusive Jason Kim, head of Firefly Aerospace, sidestepped questions regarding the shared launch, stating, “I would defer the answer to that to our launch provider, SpaceX.”
Hours later, in a presentation rich with innovation, Ryo Ujiie, ispace’s chief technology officer, divulged that the Blue Ghost would indeed be the first to detach from the Falcon 9, thereby prompting the upper stage to execute another critical burn before delivering Resilience into its trajectory.
Despite their simultaneous launch, the two spacecraft will traverse distinctly different paths to reach the Moon. Blue Ghost is slated to linger in Earth’s orbit for roughly 25 days, meticulously preparing and commissioning its payloads before embarking on a translunar injection maneuver. In contrast, its lunar rendezvous will occur four days post-injection, as it settles into orbit for a 16-day spell where it will fine-tune its navigation systems ahead of a landing attempt.
Resilience, on the other hand, will embark on a more winding quest akin to ispace’s first lander. This path involves an extended elliptical transfer orbit culminating in a lunar flyby that stretches the journey over approximately one million kilometers—an ambitious detour before entering lunar orbit. Notably, on its maiden journey, ispace’s earlier craft encountered a calamitous crash due to a software miscalculation.
“It’s crucial to understand that this is not a race to the moon. Our missions are crafted to optimize payload capacity and enhance fuel efficiency; thus, the longer durations are by design,” an ispace spokesperson clarified on December 12.
As the missions unfold, they cater to different clientele. Resilience is tasked with delivering a variety of commercial payloads primarily commissioned by Japanese firms, including a compact rover developed by ispace. Meanwhile, Blue Ghost’s cargo comprises ten pivotal NASA science and technology demonstration payloads as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. These payloads encompass an eclectic array—from a camera designed to capture the descent’s dust plume to a test intended to assess navigation signal viability at the moon.
Interestingly, among Blue Ghost’s payloads revealed during the NASA briefing is a unique memory card carrying art from the organization LifeShip, encapsulated in a pyramid-shaped monument housing a seed bank and a “knowledge archive.”
With the contract for the NASA CLPS task order on Blue Ghost recently soaring to a value of $101 million—up from $93 million back in 2021—Joel Kearns, Deputy Associate Administrator for exploration within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, acknowledged the rationale behind this escalation as stemming from various adjustments and supply chain challenges encountered along the way.
Kim expressed optimism regarding potential operational conflicts with other lunar missions, including those from ispace and Intuitive Machines, stating, “We communicate regularly, fostering an environment of mutual support rather than rivalry.”
As the space race to the moon accelerates, ispace expressed camaraderie with Firefly, emphasizing their commitment to collaborative exploration over competitive tensions, declaring, “This is a joint effort to expand our planet and its future.”
