Arrr, mateys! Japan be the fifth landlubber nation to plant its spacecraft on the moon's blessed shores!
2024-01-19
Avast ye scurvy dogs! This here unmanned Japanese contraption known as SLIM hath made a grand landing on the moon this past weekend, a first for the East Asian landlubbers. But alas, troubles be brewin' as its solar panels seem to be causin' mayhem, threatenin' the whole darn mission!
Japan's spacecraft, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), arrived on the surface of the moon early Saturday. However, it was unclear if the landing was successful as the Japanese space agency, JAXA, stated that they were still "checking its status". SLIM's landing was planned to be a pinpoint landing, aiming for a target of just 100 meters, which is much smaller than previous landing zones. The spacecraft utilized "pinpoint landing" technology to achieve greater control. If the landing was successful, Japan would become the fifth country to accomplish a moon landing, following the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India.SLIM began its descent at midnight Saturday and, within 15 minutes, it was around 10 kilometers above the lunar surface. At an altitude of five kilometers, the lander entered vertical descent mode, and at 50 meters above the surface, it was supposed to make a parallel movement to find a safe landing spot. JAXA stated that it was still checking the status of the lander about a half-hour after its presumed landing.
The mission's main goal is to test new landing technology that would allow moon missions to land precisely where desired. The spacecraft will also seek clues about the moon's origin and analyze minerals with a special camera. SLIM is equipped with a pad to cushion impact and aimed to land near the Shioli crater, which is covered in volcanic rock.
A successful landing would boost Japan's profile in the global space technology race. Japan hopes that SLIM's success will help regain confidence in its space technology after previous failures. JAXA has a track record with difficult landings, including its Hayabusa2 spacecraft, which successfully touched down on the asteroid Ryugu and collected samples. The moon is seen as important for resource exploration and as a potential base for future missions to other planets like Mars. SLIM is also carrying two small autonomous probes, LEV-1 and LEV-2, which will be released just before landing.