ispace HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Delayed Indefinitely by Falcon 9 Issue

The launch of the ispace HAKUTO-R Mission 1 that would be the first commercial moon landing has been delayed indefinitely due to an issue with a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. An updated launch date has not been set for the mission, but it will not be before a lunar trajectory blackout period from December 3 to December 6 … a period during which it is difficult to navigate the planned orbit … and will be determined based on launch vehicle readiness.

“After further inspections of the launch vehicle and data review, SpaceX is standing down from Falcon 9’s launch of ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.”

SpaceX statement.

The launch had initially been planned for Tuesday. After initially being postponed to Wednesday, the launch was scrubbed and the Falcon 9 rocket was returned to its horizontal configuration and rolled back into its hangar.

“After further inspections of the launch vehicle and data review, SpaceX is standing down from Falcon 9’s launch of ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida,” SpaceX said in a brief statement. “A new target launch date will be shared once confirmed.”

No Issues Detected with the HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lander

The launch vehicle had been transferred to the launch pad on November 30, and lander battery charging operations had been completed. However, it was decided to return the launch vehicle to a hangar for additional inspections. Battery charging operations for the lander will continue during that time. No issues with the lander itself have been identified and a press briefing was held on the afternoon of December 1 (JST) regarding the launch postponement.

According to ispace, at this time no major operational changes are planned if the launch is completed by mid-December, with lunar landing scheduled for the end of April 2023. There is currently no plan to change the target landing site. Even if the launch slips past mid-December, Mission 1 will be carried out, however changes to the operation schedule and the target lunar landing date may be considered.

The M1 lander will carry multiple commercial and government payloads, including two rovers, to the surface of the Moon.

(Source: ispace news release. Images provided)