TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In a bittersweet moment for Asian space exploration, Resilience, a lunar lander developed by Japanese space startup ispace carrying Taiwan's Deep Space Radiation Probe (DSRP), lost communication with mission controllers during its critical landing phase on Friday (June 6). The sudden silence likely indicates a crash landing on the lunar surface, dashing hopes for a successful touchdown. Despite the apparent mission failure, Chang Chee-Wei (張起維), who heads National Central University's Department of Space Science and Engineering (NCU DSSE, 國立中央大學太空科學與工程學系), one of Taiwan's premier aerospace research institutions, emphasized the historic significance of the mission, calling it a watershed moment for Taiwan's nascent space program and its ambitions beyond Earth orbit.
The mission began with considerable promise when the spacecraft lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 15, carrying the specialized radiation detection instrument developed by National Central University. Scientists designed the Deep Space Radiation Probe to collect critical measurements of cosmic radiation in the vast expanse between our planet and its natural satellite — data crucial for understanding the hazards future astronauts might face during extended lunar missions. In what mission scientists are characterizing as a partial success, the Taiwanese-built instrument functioned flawlessly throughout its five-month voyage through cislunar space, continuously transmitting valuable scientific measurements back to Earth despite the ultimate failure of the landing vehicle to achieve its primary objective.
The collaborative project marked Taiwan's inaugural participation in a multinational lunar expedition, establishing a milestone as the closest any Taiwanese-manufactured technology has ever traveled to the lunar surface — approximately 100 kilometers at its nearest approach. During a press briefing at National Central University's campus in Taoyuan City, Professor Chang offered an optimistic assessment of the mission's scientific achievements despite its ultimate landing failure. "This mission has provided invaluable experience and data for future deep space exploration," the aerospace engineer noted, while stressing the importance of thoroughly examining the wealth of information already collected. The research team plans to conduct comprehensive analysis of the radiation measurements to enhance instrument design and mission planning for Taiwan's future ventures beyond Earth orbit.
The spacecraft had successfully completed several mission milestones before the landing attempt, having achieved lunar orbit in May after navigating the complex gravitational dynamics between Earth and the moon. According to the mission flight plan, Resilience was programmed to execute a precisely choreographed sequence of engine burns to decelerate from orbital velocity and adjust its orientation from approximately 100 kilometers above the cratered lunar terrain. The critical final phase of descent began promisingly, but telemetry data abruptly ceased during what engineers call "the last mile"—the most challenging portion of any lunar landing. By 8 a.m. Taiwan time, mission controllers at ispace's Tokyo headquarters had exhausted all recovery protocols and reluctantly declared that communications would not be reestablished.
In Tokyo, a visibly disappointed Takeshi Hakamada, the entrepreneur who founded ispace with ambitions to develop a commercial lunar transportation system, addressed journalists at a somber press conference following the mission's conclusion. The executive acknowledged the setback but maintained the company's long-term vision for lunar development remains unchanged. Hakamada pledged that engineering teams would conduct exhaustive failure analysis to identify what went wrong during the final descent phase, incorporating these critical lessons into the design of future spacecraft. Despite the unsuccessful landing attempt, the CEO reaffirmed ispace's commitment to its lunar exploration roadmap, specifically mentioning plans to proceed with the more ambitious HAKUTO-R Mission 3, scheduled for launch in 2027. ◼