Japan's space agency, JAXA, celebrated the successful landing of its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission. The craft, nicknamed the "Moon Sniper," touched down about 55 meters from its target on the lunar surface, making Japan the fifth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon after the United States, Soviet Union, China, and India.
Successful Landing, But Power Concerns
The first images released by JAXA show the SLIM lander intact on the rocky lunar surface. The pinpoint soft landing is a significant achievement. However, celebrations were tempered by concerns about the lack of electricity generated by the spacecraft's lightweight solar batteries. Despite having only 12 per cent power remaining, the decision was made to switch off SLIM, with the possibility of resuming operations when the sun's angle changes.
First image released by JAXA (Japan's Space Agency)
Mission Objectives and Challenges
SLIM's mission is to investigate the Moon's origin by analysing minerals with a special camera. The craft aimed to land near the Shioli crater, an area covered in volcanic rock. The analysis of these rocks could provide insights into the Moon's potential water resources, crucial for future plans of building bases on the Moon, potentially serving as stopovers on the way to Mars.
Moon Exploration in the Spotlight
The successful landing comes just 10 days after a US private company's moon mission failed due to a fuel leak. SLIM, launched on a Mitsubishi Heavy H2A rocket in September, entered lunar orbit on December 25. This mission follows several recent lunar exploration efforts by both governments and private companies, marking 50 years since the first human Moon landing.
Japan's Lunar Exploration History
While SLIM's success is noteworthy, it's important to note that two previous Japanese lunar missions, one public and one private, had faced failures. In 2022, Japan unsuccessfully sent a lunar probe named Omotenashi as part of the United States' Artemis 1 mission. Additionally, a Japanese startup, ispace, attempted but failed to become the first private company to land on the Moon earlier in the year.
Inputs from Reuters
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