Japan’s Space Agency Prepares for Historic Moon Landing Attempt with ‘Moon Sniper’ Mission
Japan’s space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is gearing up for a historic moon landing attempt with its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission. The spacecraft, also known as the ‘Moon Sniper’ for its precision technology, is expected to touch down on the lunar surface at 10:20 a.m. ET on Friday, or 12:20 a.m. Japan Standard Time on Saturday.
If successful, the SLIM mission will mark Japan’s first time putting a robotic explorer on the moon’s surface, making it the third country to achieve such a feat in the 21st century and the fifth country to soft-land a spacecraft on the moon since the Soviet Luna 9 mission in 1966.
The landing will be a nerve-wracking experience, with Kenji Kushiki, the subproject manager of the SLIM mission, describing it as ’20 minutes of terror’ as the spacecraft begins its descent towards the lunar surface. The live stream of the landing will be available on YouTube in Japanese and English.
The SLIM lander is designed to demonstrate a ‘pinpoint’ landing at a specific location, showcasing precision technology that aims to bring accuracy to robotic probes that are low-cost and lightweight. This technology could enable future missions to target specific sites on the moon, even among treacherous, rocky terrain, and potentially on other resource-scarce planets.
The landing site targeted by the SLIM lander stretches just 100 meters (328 feet) across, highlighting the mission’s focus on achieving high accuracy in reaching specific zones on celestial bodies. This precision landing capability could open up new possibilities for scientific exploration and resource utilization in space.
The SLIM mission’s upcoming moon landing attempt comes at a time of renewed interest in lunar exploration, with various space agencies and private companies vying to establish a presence on the moon and pave the way for future crewed missions. As the countdown to the historic landing continues, all eyes are on JAXA and the SLIM mission as they prepare to make space exploration history.
