[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=”4px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][dsm_breadcrumbs _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dsm_breadcrumbs][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}”][et_pb_row make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;||flex-direction: row;||align-items: center;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The moon is about to have company! On December 11th 2022, the Japanese startup iSpace launched HAKUTO-R Mission 1, its first lunar mission with the goal of a graceful landing. If all goes as planned during touchdown at the end of this month, HAKUTO-R will be the first private mission to successfully land on the moon. Better yet, Unistellar observers can tune into this remarkable endeavor by observing the crater that will host the moon\u2019s new Earthly visitor.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” custom_css_main_element=”align-items: center;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Landing_sequence_scale2-e1680704611505.png” alt=”The Constellation Orion, showing the location of the Horsehead and Orion Nebula.” title_text=”Landing_sequence_scale2″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”98%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Credit: iSpace<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n As the first of several planned missions, HAKUTO-R M1 will demonstrate the technology necessary to make a soft landing on the moon, in which the space craft lands with a low enough speed to keep all its parts safely intact.<\/p>\n The very first privately-funded lunar lander attempt, launched by the Israeli organization SpaceIL in 2019, met a destructive fate when its craft crashed and ceased communication. That makes the HAKUTO-R lander, which is currently in lunar orbit, primed for a historic feat, although it is already breaking commercial records by traveling 1.4 million km into space.<\/p>\n iSpace\u2019s lunar landing is not the only significant part of this mission. The payload also includes the United Arab Emirates\u2019 Rashid rover, a JAXA transformable robot rover, and NASA\u2019s Lunar Flashlight \u2013 a cubesat that will survey the lunar surface for ice deposits. The Rashid rover marks the UAE\u2019s first lunar mission, so altogether, HAKUTO-R is a mission of remarkable new ventures!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The HAKUTO-R lander will perform a landing attempt in the Atlas crater on April 25th <\/a>16:40 UTC at the earliest (we will keep you posted on the results)! This impact crater, located on the near-side of the moon and southeast of Mare Frigoris, is easily identifiable with a telescope \u2013 particularly the eVscope<\/a> and eQuinox<\/a>. As the full moon wanes this week, be sure to observe and simply use the image capture to snap a picture of the moon! Then, see if you can identify the Atlas crater in your image \u2013 at almost 90km wide and 2km deep, it is easy to pick out along the moon\u2019s pock-marked surface.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/lunarfeatures.jpeg” title_text=”lunarfeatures” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Adapted image from NASA\u2019s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The yellow circle marks the Hercules (left) and Atlas (right) craters. Credit: NASA\/GSFC\/Arizona State University.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Although today marks the April full moon, HAKUTO-R will land when the moon is nearing first quarter and less than half of its face will be illuminated. But Atlas will be visible to us when HAKUTO-R lands, too! The image below shows what the moon will look like on the 25th, so that you can clearly find the future landing site.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/StefanW_annotated.png” title_text=”StefanW_annotated” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”64%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” min_height=”159.3px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n An eVscope image of the moon taken by citizen astronomer Stefan W, with the Atlas crater and nearby features clearly marked.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”1px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Identify Atlas with us and prepare to observe during the historic landing of HAKUTO-R M1!<\/strong> We will update this post as more information comes in, but in the meantime, share your images on social and tag @unistellar so that we can celebrate your observations.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Finally, click the camera button on the live-view screen to snap your lunar pictures!<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-929a6719-4323-4702-bd5a-fabceb4433c2″ global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-929a6719-4323-4702-bd5a-fabceb4433c2%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#FDB82B” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”15%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][dsm_post_carousel post_type=”blog” posts_number=”6″ pagi_color=”#FDB82B” pagi_active_color=”#FDB82B” navi_color=”#FDB82B” post_item_bg_color=”gcid-84086a3f-4df3-4dea-91c2-75d1b92f5c80″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-84086a3f-4df3-4dea-91c2-75d1b92f5c80%22:%91%22post_item_bg_color%22%93}”][\/dsm_post_carousel][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Japanese HAKUTO-R Mission 1 is set to be the first commercial spacecraft to land on the moon. Observe the crater where it will land!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":252654,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[280],"tags":[48,153,587,73],"articles_categories":[],"class_list":["post-252666","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-observations-en-uk","tag-citizen-astronomer","tag-citizen-astronomy","tag-crater","tag-moon"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe HAKUTO-R Mission 1<\/h3>\n
Observe the Atlas Crater \u2013 HAKUTO-R M1\u2019s Landing Site<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Tips for Observing the Moon<\/h3>\n
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Further readings<\/h2>\n