Software glitch and location switch blamed for private Japanese moon lander crash.

1 min read
Source: Space.com
Software glitch and location switch blamed for private Japanese moon lander crash.
Photo: Space.com
TL;DR

The private Japanese moon lander, Hakuto-R, crashed during its landing attempt on April 25 due to its onboard altitude sensor getting confused by the rim of a lunar crater. The computer relied on a calculation based on its expected altitude, leading to the crash. The lander was to land on the floor of the Atlas Crater in the Mare Frigoris region of the moon's near side. The mission successfully completed eight of its nine milestones, and the mishap will not affect the planned launches of ispace's second and third missions in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Share this article

Want the full story? Read the original reporting

Read on Space.com