On Tuesday night, the Japanese company that sent the UAE’s Rashid Rover to the Moon lost contact with the HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander after it was scheduled to land. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai stated in a tweet that ispace, the company responsible for the lander, was unable to confirm a successful landing as they had lost communication with it. Engineers have been investigating the situation, and updates were to be provided once the investigation is complete, as stated by the mission control centre.
On Wednesday, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre said in an official statement that “Post the ispace announcement regarding the unsuccessful landing of HAKUTO-R Mission 1, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre commends the remarkable efforts of the mission partner ispace, who tirelessly worked towards the goal of landing safely on the Lunar surface.”
“While the Rashid Rover and other payloads onboard the lander did not get the chance to continue on their respective missions, the team at MBRSC is still proud of the achievements, including developing a rover and becoming the first Emirati and Arab lunar mission to enter the Moon’s orbit,” the statement said. “We thank the French space agency, CNES, for their scientific and technical contribution throughout the mission. We also appreciate the support of our local and international partners and the invaluable insights gained in the process.”
“After getting this close to the Moon, the MBRSC team is inspired and believes that greater accomplishments are yet to come in our pursuit of space exploration,” concluded the statement.
