Japan achieves historic moon landing

Japan’s space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has successfully landed its high-precision lunar surface exploration vehicle, nicknamed the “Moon Sniper”, on the moon. The landing marks a significant achievement for Japan, as it is the country’s first time to accomplish this feat.

The agency has reported that they are currently “checking the status” of the spacecraft due to a power supply issue. Additionally, they have requested more time to analyze whether the unmanned craft achieved a pinpoint landing, which was one of the mission’s main goals.

JAXA confirmed that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) probe embarked on its highly anticipated “power descent sequence” during the early hours of Saturday local time (15:00 GMT Friday).

Hitoshi Kuninaka, the head of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, stated that they are confident in the successful launch of rovers, with data transmission back to Earth in progress.

[SLIM Moon landing: live broadcast Jan. 19, 2024 from 23:00 JST]
A live broadcast during the moon landing operations for the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) and press conference will be streamed live on the#JAXA YouTube channel #SLIMlivehttps://t.co/QI2KU8peO2

— JAXA(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) (@JAXA_en) January 19, 2024

However, Kuninaka noted that SLIM’s solar battery was not generating power, and the spacecraft’s battery life was limited to just a few more hours. The current priority is to maximize the collection of lunar data while utilizing the remaining battery capacity.

“It takes 30 days for the solar angle to change on the moon”, Kuninaka said. “So when the solar direction changes, and the light shines from a different direction, the light could end up hitting the solar cell.”

He further emphasized that, upon analyzing the trace data, it is evident that SLIM achieved a landing with remarkable precision, accurately hitting its target within 100 meters.

This level of accuracy surpasses conventional standards, which often allow for deviations of several kilometres. The comprehensive verification of this preliminary information is expected to take approximately one month.

Japan’s successful landing of the SLIM probe on the lunar surface marks a historic achievement, positioning the country as the fifth nation in the world to accomplish such a feat. Joining the ranks of the United States, Russia, China, and India.

Also Read: Japan’s SLIM moon lander enters lunar orbit

Unprecedented technology

Japan asserts that its technology for lunar landing is unprecedented and of paramount importance in propelling lunar exploration forward, with a particular emphasis on the pursuit of lunar water and the prospects of establishing human habitation.

Speaking in anticipation of the touchdown, Shinichiro Sakai, JAXA’s SLIM project manager, expressed, “Demonstrating Japan’s prowess in this technology would confer a significant advantage in upcoming international missions like Artemis,” alluding to NASA’s crewed moon mission. He emphasized that no other nation has attained this level of technological achievement.

Japan is partnering with the US to expand its role in space activities as China’s military and technological influence grows. Japan is also participating in NASA’s Artemis program to send one of its astronauts to the moon.

However, JAXA experienced multiple setbacks, including the launch failure of their new flagship rocket H3 in March. The rocket was meant to compete with other commercial rocket providers, such as SpaceX in terms of cost-competitiveness.

JAXA, the Japanese space agency, emphasizes its high-precision technology for exploring the moon’s hilly poles, rich in oxygen, fuel, and water. The agency plans a 2025 collaboration with India for an unmanned lunar polar exploration mission.

SORA-Q probe

On board Japan’s “Moon Sniper” is a little robot, the SORA-Q probe, with a big mission: to pop open like a Transformer toy, wiggle across the lunar surface, and beam images back to Earth.

The shape-shifting SORA-Q probe, co-developed by a major toy company, has been compared with a friendly Star Wars droid and a sea turtle because of how its metal form can navigate the dusty moonscape. Sora means “universe” in Japanese, while “Q” refers to the words “question” and “quest”, its makers say.

After landing on the moon, the probe’s cameras are expected to take valuable images of a crater where parts of the moon’s mantle, usually hidden deep below its crust, are believed to be exposed.