Japan startup hopeful ahead of second moon launch

Tokyo (AFP) Jan 9, 2025

Japanese startup ispace vowed its upcoming second unmanned Moon mission will be a success, saying Thursday that it learned from its failed attempt nearly two years ago. In April 2023, the firm's first spacecraft made an unsalvageable "hard landing", dashing its ambitions to be the first private company to touch down on the Moon. The Houston-based Intuitive Machines accomplished that feat