Japan Moon Sniper Lander: Japan launched the H2-A rocket with the “Moon Sniper” lander to attempt the first Moon landing. After three weather-related delays, the rocket finally launched from Tanegashima, Japan. In 4-6 months, the lander should reach the Moon. Approximately 33,250 people watched the launch online. A study satellite by NASA, ESA, and JAXA was also on board.
This journey follows India’s successful moon landing, a significant milestone in the country’s history. Japan’s SLIM rover is designed to land within 100 meters of its Moon target. JAXA emphasized that this is a significant advancement, allowing for more flexible landing locations.
The goal is to land accurately on high-gravity bodies in space. This enables missions to resource-scarce worlds. It has yet to land on a high-gravity celestial body accurately. India, the US, Russia, and China have safely landed spacecraft on the Moon, with India being the first to land at the South Pole.
Japan faced issues during its moon landing attempt, including the failure of the Omotenashi probe sent as part of the US Artemis program. Omotenashi is the world’s smallest Moon landing. It was the size of a backpack. Problems occurred after NASA’s rocket launched the mission into space. Contact was lost in the end.
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Japan faced launch rocket issues as well. In March, the H3 rocket failed to launch, and the Epsilon rocket did not work in October. Despite previous failures, Japan remains highly interested in moon exploration. The successful launch of the Moon Sniper lander is a significant step towards achieving its goals.
If successful, it could open new ways to explore the Moon and learn more about its surface and resources. As Japan embarks on its moon mission, the world eagerly watches, hoping for success to learn more about the Moon and inspire space exploration.
Our Reader’s Queries
Was Japan’s moon sniper lander SLIM launched successfully?
JAXA happily shares that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has smoothly entered lunar orbit at 16:51 (Japan Standard Time, JST) on December 25, 2023.
What is the moon sniper of Japan?
SLIM, known as the “Moon sniper,” chose an unusually lengthy path to reach the Moon. If it accomplishes its goal, it will become the smallest and lightest spacecraft to ever land on the Moon. Remarkably, SLIM marks Japan’s second attempt to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.
Where will SLIM land?
On September 6, 2023 at 23:42 UTC (or 7 September 08:42 Japan Standard Time), SLIM was launched alongside the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) space telescope. It’s scheduled to touch down near Shioli crater (13.3°S, 25.2°E) using a Weak stability boundary like trajectory.
Which country landed on the moon fifth?
Japan’s potential achievement with the touchdown would put them in an elite group of just five countries to have accomplished the feat. The United States, Russia, China, and India currently hold this distinction. On Monday, SLIM achieved a major milestone by successfully entering the moon’s orbit at 04.51pm Japan time, as announced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).