Private Japanese lunar lander enters orbit around moon ahead of a June touchdown

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: This photo provided by ispace in January 2025 shows the Resilience lunar lander. Credit: ispace via AP, File A private lunar lander from Japan is now circling the moon, with just another month to go before it attempts a touchdown. Tokyo-based ispace said Wednesday morning its Resilience lander entered lunar orbit. "The countdown to lunar landing has now officially begun," the company said in a statement. SpaceX launched Resilience with U.S-based Firefly Aerospace's lunar lander in January. Firefly got there first in March, becoming the first private outfit to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over. Another American company, Intuitive Machines, landed a spacecraft on the moon a few days later, but it ended up sideways in a crater. This photo provided by ispace in Jan ... Read full article.