Hatsune Miku‘s most ambitious project to date has come to a disappointing end after 15 years of activity. The real-life spacecraft responsible for taking the virtual pop star into space has terminated operations as of Sept. 18, 2025.
Per Automaton, Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) terminated its nearly two-decade project with the space probe Akatsuki after failing to reestablish communication since 2024. Akatsuki, also known as the Venus Climate Orbiter, was launched on May 21, 2010, to study the second planet from the Sun. However, an official PR campaign invited fans to submit handwritten messages and drawings they wanted to “send” to Venus. Vocaloid fans used this opportunity to “send Hatsune Miku into space” by submitting over 13,000 messages and fan art of her to JAXA.
Hatsune Miku’s Space Odyssey Comes to a Tragic End After 15 Years
“The operation of the Venus probe ‘Akatsuki’ has been terminated,” the program’s official social media account said on X (formerly Twitter). “We have been attempting to restore communication since last year, but it has been determined that further recovery is unlikely, and we have decided to bring this chapter to a close. We sincerely thank you for watching over ‘Akatsuki’ for 15 years since its launch.”
Although the sudden communication loss between JAXA and Akatsuki in 2024 is the most devastating setback the project has faced in its 15 years, it’s far from the only one. Its initial launch in 2020 was seriously hindered by an unexpected engine failure, causing the probe to wander in space for five years. However, JAXA eventually resolved the issue by substituting the main engine with a secondary attitude control engine of limited but effective power.
After recovering from its engine loss, the Venus Climate Orbiter was able to observe and detail Earth’s “twin” planet successfully for nearly a decade. While the anti-climactic end of the Akatsuki project is tragic, valuable information regarding Venus and our solar system was ultimately accomplished, which is why JAXA was comfortable pulling the plug. However, Akatsuki’s end also means the loss of fan-made content inspired by Hatsune Miku.
Hatsune Miku fans on X are sharing rare examples of fan-submitted content for the Akatsuki project, before it embarked on its epic journey into space. A few publicly available examples show the virtual pop star soaring into space like a superhero, or illustrated with minimalist visuals that evoke sci-fi iconography. Some fan art even features Hatsune Miku with an anime chibi-like version of the space probe.
Thankfully, Hatsune Miku isn’t actually “Lost in Space.” She continues to be a global icon thanks to her diverse catalog of digitally produced music, as well as her contributions to video games, such as Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! and its anime film adaptation that was released in 2025. Hatsune Miku is available as a guest character in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, now available for Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox consoles and PC.