Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), affectionately known as the “Moon Sniper,” has successfully entered the moon’s orbit, marking a significant milestone in Japan’s quest for its first lunar landing, anticipated next month. If successful, Japan would become the fifth country, following the United States, Russia, China, and India, to achieve a lunar landing.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported on Monday that SLIM accomplished its trajectory shift as planned, entering the moon’s orbit at 04:51 pm Japan time. The probe’s conditions are reported to be normal, setting the stage for its descent towards the moon, scheduled to commence around midnight on January 20, with a targeted landing on the lunar surface just 20 minutes later.
JAXA stated earlier this month that the mission represents an “unprecedentedly high precision landing” on the Moon. SLIM’s unique capabilities, including a spherical probe developed in collaboration with a toy company, set it apart. Slightly larger than a tennis ball, this probe can alter its shape to traverse the lunar surface.
In contrast to previous lunar probes that landed several kilometers away from their targets, SLIM boasts a purported margin of error of under 100 meters, showcasing an unprecedented level of accuracy. This achievement is the culmination of a 20-year effort by researchers at JAXA.
Shinichiro Sakai, JAXA’s SLIM project manager, highlighted the growing demand for precise targeting on the lunar surface, emphasizing that advancements in technology have shifted the focus from exploring vaguely defined lunar regions to pinpointing specific features such as craters and rocks.
SLIM’s remarkable precision is not only a landmark in lunar exploration but also holds promise for advancing scientific research. The probe’s accuracy is expected to facilitate easier sampling of lunar permafrost, bringing scientists one step closer to unraveling the mysteries surrounding water resources on the Moon.
Japan’s previous attempts at lunar missions faced setbacks, including the unsuccessful lunar probe Omotenashi in the United States’ Artemis 1 mission last year. Additionally, a private Japanese start-up, ispace, failed in its endeavor to become the first private company to land on the Moon in April, losing communication after what was described as a “hard landing.” Source – AFP
