Ispace, a Japanese lunar technology company, has completed the construction of its micro lunar rover. The rover will be transported to Japan for integration into Ispace's HAKUTO-R lander. It is expected to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Space Coast later in 2024.

The lunar rover, titled "Tenacious," is 26 cm tall, 31.5 cm wide, and 54 cm long and weighs ~5 kg. It will photograph the Moon's surface using a forward-mounted HD camera and communicate with Earth through the HAKURO-R lander, titled "Resilience."

Ispace reported that the mission is expected to contribute to NASA's Artemis program. The company is also working on its third mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2026, and will use the APEX 1.0 lunar lander for the first time.

Analyst QuickTake: This lunar mission will be Ispace's second attempt to land on the Moon. The first lunar mission, with the HAKUTO-R lander in April 2023 , was unsuccessful due to the loss of contact with its controllers during descent. Ispace reported that the setback occurred due to a lack of propellant and the lander being in a vertical position on its final approach.