Source: SFGate
“A laser navigating tool doomed a Japanese company’s lunar lander earlier this month, causing it to crash into the moon. Officials for ispace announced the news from Tokyo on Tuesday. The crash landing was the second for ispace in two years. This time, the company’s lander named Resilience was aiming for the moon’s far north in Mare Frigoris, or Sea of Cold. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter relayed pictures of the crash site last week where Resilience and its mini rover ended up as wreckage. Company officials blamed the accident on the lander’s laser range finder, saying it was slow to kick in and properly measure the spacecraft’s distance to the lunar surface. Resilience was descending at a rapid rate of 138 feet (42 meters) per second when contact was lost, and crashed five seconds later, they said.” (06/23/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/japanese-company-blames-laser-tool-for-its-2nd-20390614.php