Japanese startup to use SpaceX rockets for its lunar research plans starting 2020

On reaching space in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, Ispace plans to orbit its lunar lander around the moon.

|Sep 26, 2018, 17:47:18 IST

Japanese lunar exploration startup Ispace said it has signed up for launches on Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets in 2020 and 2021, its first step towards offering services such as searching for water on the moon.On reaching space in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, Ispace plans to orbit its lunar lander around the moon and, in its second mission, land two rovers on the moon’s surface, paving the way for further expeditions.[caption id="attachment_4134729" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft onboard. Reuters.[/caption]Ispace hopes to offer services to governmental and private clients including carrying payloads to the moon and exploration such as searching for water as colonisation of the moon moves closer.Last week SpaceX said it would carry Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon in the forthcoming Big Falcon Rocket in a mission tentatively planned for 2023.One of five teams that competed in a Google-backed prize to land spacecraft on the moon, Ispace has raised $90 million dollars from investors including a state-backed fund, telecoms firm KDDI Corp and advertising agency Dentsu Inc.Another participant in the Google competition, Israel’s SpaceIL, plans to launch with SpaceX and land its spacecraft on the moon next February.

Careless Whispers: Scientists discover that plants can 'talk' to each other using smells

Japanese scientists have recorded a video that shows plants, in certain conditions, communicate with each other using mists that carry smells. The discovery, reveals that plants release a fine mist of airborne compounds, to warn nearby plants of potential dangers

Life on Mars? European Space Agency’s Orbiter discovers ice water deposits at equator

European Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter has identified massive ice and ice water deposits beneath the surface of Mars. The Mars Express orbiter was also the first to confirmed the presence of ice on Mars in 2004

Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple as the most valuable company, Apple back on top again

At its peak during the session, Microsoft's value reached $2.903 trillion, with a 2% surge. As of writing this article, Apple closed at $2.89 trillion, whereas Microsoft closed at $2.86 trillion

Even NASA is facing a tough time, starts layoffs following major budget cuts

NASA is facing some massive budget cuts, because of which, it has been forced to postpone some upcoming missions. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been hit hard by recent federal budget cuts, resulting in the layoff of 100 contractors last week

ISRO, NASA's NISAR satellite to get ready by Jan-end, will monitor Earth's snow-covered regions

The NISAR satellite which has been developed jointly ISRO and NASA, should be ready for launch by the end of January 2024. The collaboration between NASA and ISRO on NISAR is the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission

Up Next