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| Attribute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | JAXA | Astrobotic | CNSA |
| Prime contractor | Mitsubishi Electric | Astrobotic | China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) |
| Status | Landed | Lost | In development |
| Customer | JAXA | NASA-CLPS | CNSA |
| Launch date | 2023-09-06 | 2024-01-08 | 2026-08 (NET) |
| Landing date | 2024-01-19 | — | — |
| Landing site | Near Shioli crater, Mare Nectaris (~10 m precision vs 100 m target) | Sinus Viscositatis (planned; never reached) | Shackleton crater illuminated rim, lunar south pole |
| Payload | LEV-1 (2.1 kg hopper) + LEV-2 'SORA-Q' (0.25 kg sphere) (2024-01-19) | 20 payloads from 7 nations (2024-01-08) | 18 science payloads across orbiter, lander, rover, mini-hopper, and Queqiao-2 (2026-05-28) |
| Contract value | — | $108M (2024-01-08) | — |
| Outcome | First Japanese soft landing; made Japan the 5th nation to soft-land on the Moon. One of two main engines failed at ~50 m altitude; lander touched down on its side but still met 100-m precision goal. Survived four lunar-night cycles despite not being designed for it; declared concluded 2024-08-23. | Maiden flight of ULA's Vulcan Centaur. Helium pressurant valve failed to reseal post-actuation, over-pressurizing the oxidizer tank and rupturing it. Lander commanded into controlled re-entry; burned up over South Pacific 2024-01-18. | China's first dedicated lunar south-pole prospecting mission. Mini-flying probe hops into permanently shadowed regions to sample for water-ice volatiles. Italian laser retroreflector aboard the lander. |
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