After Japan has completed the controlled ignition of its main engine in anticipation of a landing attempt at the end of April, it could join a very special club when the special Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander enters lunar orbit at 10:24 JST on March 21.

Designed and operated by lunar resources development company ispace, the Hakuto-R was launched on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket on December 11, 2022. This is a special moon landing demonstrator carrying cargo for the Japanese government and international customers, including the Rashid rover. Emirates Lunar Mission and transformed JAXA/Tomy SORA-Q lunar robot.

Due to the Falcon 9 launch vehicle’s relatively low power, Hakuto-R made a slow three-month journey using a series of orbital maneuvers to maintain sufficient speed to reach the Moon. During this time, mission engineers were able to test the operational capabilities of the ship, which would be used for longer range missions. The main engine and thrusters were then fired for a few minutes to launch into orbit under the supervision of flight control in Nihonbashi, Tokyo.

If the final milestones go according to plan, the decision on the moon landing date will be made in the coming weeks.