Japan startup lander may reach Moon on Apr. 26 in world 1st

A Japanese space startup said Wednesday its Moon lander may touch down on the celestial body as early as April 26, a move that would make it the first private company in the world to reach the Moon.

If successful, the touchdown by Ispace Inc.'s self-developed lander will also be the first by a private or public organization in Japan. Last year the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, failed to land its Omotenashi spacecraft on the Moon.

Under its Hakuto-R exploration program, Ispace launched the lander to test its descent technology and aims to maneuver the spacecraft from its Tokyo co...