Japan’s “Moon Sniper” lander, known as SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon), has achieved a major milestone by successfully entering lunar orbit. This accomplishment brings Japan one step closer to landing a robotic explorer on the moon’s surface. The lander is currently completing one loop of the moon every 6.4 hours, but it will gradually tighten its orbit in preparation for its historic touchdown attempt in mid-January.
If successful, Japan will become the fifth country to achieve a lunar landing and the third in the 21st century, following China and India. The goal of the mission is to attempt a pinpoint landing with extreme precision, gathering data about lunar rocks to enhance our understanding of the moon’s formation. To demonstrate this precision, SLIM will target a landing zone of approximately 328 feet, earning its nickname “Moon Sniper.”
Interestingly, the landing site for SLIM is expected to be near the iconic Apollo 11 landing site, where NASA astronauts first set foot on the moon in 1969. While the United States remains the only country to have landed humans on the moon, it has not done so since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
This isn’t the first attempt by Japan to land on the moon. In 2023, Japan-based company Ispace and Russia’s space agency Roscosmos both launched missions, but unfortunately, they ended in failure. However, India successfully landed a lunar lander in August 2019, becoming the fourth country to do so after the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union.
Looking ahead, the United States has ambitious plans for lunar exploration. It plans to launch three robotic vehicles to the moon’s surface in the coming year and aims to send astronauts into orbit around the moon in late 2024 for the Artemis II mission. If successful, the Artemis III mission could lead to the first manned lunar landing since the 1970s.
Japan’s progress in entering lunar orbit is a significant achievement in its quest for lunar exploration. As the nation edges closer to landing a robotic explorer on the moon, the world eagerly awaits the outcome of the historic touchdown attempt in mid-January.
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