Japan's Hakuto-R M1 lunar lander remains in stable orbit around Moon

Japanese space exploration company ispace said Wednesday that its Hakuto-R M1 lunar lander continues to be in a stable orbit around the Moon and the ground teams are working to maintain contact with the lander whilst preparing for tasks and events such as Moon occultation - an astronomical event which occurs when one object passes in front of another from an observer's perspective (in this case, the Moon will come between the Earth and the lander).

Hakuto-R M1 will be the first privately-led Japanese mission to land on the lunar surface. The Japanese lunar lander entered orbit around the Moon on March 21 and the lunar landing is scheduled to take place around late April 2023.

"This means we’re unable to talk to the lander for a period of time, so it’s our job to ensure all equipment is working correctly, allowing the lander to automatically function during communication link downtimes," said Alex Einbinder and Ponglert Rattanachinalai, Ground Controllers.

“Our M1 lander remains in a stable orbit around the Moon. As Ground Controllers, we work to maintain communication with the lander and prepare for tasks and events such as Moon occultations, which is when the Moon comes between the Earth and the lander." (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gcme4IWANk

— ispace (@ispace_inc) April 5, 2023