The Japanese team competing in an international lunar probe contest said Wednesday it will postpone the launch date of its moon rover from Dec. 28 to sometime between January and March next year.
The decision by team Hakuto — one of five teams shortlisted in the world's first contest of its kind, organized by the Google Lunar XPrize Foundation — comes in response to an announcement by the U.S. foundation that it has extended the deadline for the participants to fulfill their mission to the end of March from the end of this year.
Hakuto said it will carry the 58-cm-long rover named Sorato to India next month to prepare for its launch aboard an Indian rocket.