JAPAN’S ISPACE MOON LANDING FAILURE DUE TO ALTITUDE MISCALCULATION
The successful landing on the Moon is always a massive achievement and a great moment of pride not only for a country but for the entire world. The moon landing is still considered the most significant event in the history of space exploration. In recent years, space exploration has become more critical with many countries investing billions of dollars in their respective space programs. One such space program is the Japanese space agency JAXA. However, the recent failed moon landing attempt by its subsidiary company ispace has raised many questions about the quality and precision of their calculations.
THE FAILURE
iSpace, a private Japanese space exploration company, attempted to land its lunar lander “Hakuto-R” on the moon’s surface in December 2020. However, the mission didn’t go as planned, and the lander crashed onto the lunar surface. After months of analyzing the data from the mission, the company has finally determined the cause of the failure. According to their report, the company miscalculated the altitude of the lander, which led to the crash.
MISCALCULATION OF THE ALTITUDE
According to the report, the primary cause of the failure was the misjudgment of the altitude of the lunar lander. The company initially calculated that the altitude of the lander should be at least ten meters to successfully land on the moon. However, due to a communication error, the lander’s distance was miscalculated, causing it to hit the lunar surface at a high speed and crash.
IMPACT OF THE FAILURE
The failure to land successfully on the Moon is a massive disappointment for Japan’s space program, which is still relatively new compared to other space programs in the world. The mission was part of a long-term plan, including a series of launches that would lead to Japan’s first manned mission on the moon by 2030. However, the failure of the mission has pushed the timeline forward, leaving Japan with a lot of catching up to do compared to its closest space competitors.
CONCLUSION
The failed mission of the Hakuto-R lander has raised questions about the precision and accuracy of Japan’s space program. The failure of the mission can be attributed to a communication error and a miscalculation of the altitude of the lunar lander. However, the company has learned from the failures and has promised to take adequate measures to ensure that such errors do not occur in future missions. The incident is a reminder that mistakes can happen, even in the most advanced technology, and it will take time and effort to carry out successful missions in space.
SUMMARY
Japan’s space program, JAXA, suffered a major setback when its subsidiary company, ispace, failed to land its lunar lander on the moon’s surface. According to the company’s report, the cause of the failure was a miscalculation of the altitude of the lunar lander, which led to its crash. This failure has raised many questions about the quality and precision of Japan’s space program, leaving it with a lot of catching up to do compared to its closest space competitors. However, the company has learned from its mistakes and has promised to take necessary measures to prevent similar errors from occurring in future missions. #TECH