A major triumph for Japanese space travel: in the afternoon the country landed its mini spaceship ‘Slim’ exactly in a crater on the Earth’s satellite. This makes Japan the fifth country to achieve this, after the US, the Soviet Union, China and India.
It initially remained unclear whether the probe landed softly or whether there were problems. The situation is still being analyzed, Japanese space agency Jaxa said several times in the minutes after the “SLIM” (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) lander reached the moon.
The landing approach of “Slim” started at 4:00 PM our time and lasted approximately 20 minutes. Japan’s first two attempts to land on the moon failed in 2022 and 2023.
The 2.4 meter long and 1.7 meter wide spacecraft landed in the so-called Shioli crater, which has a diameter of less than 300 meters. The scientists assume that the moon’s mantle, the barely explored layer beneath the crust, is accessible from the surface.
“Slim” is looking for water sources
The job of “Slim” – short for “Smart Lander for Investigating Moon” – will be to examine rocks and search for water on the moon. The data collected on the moon will be used as part of the US-led Artemis program.
With this program, NASA wants to return people to the moon after more than 50 years, but last week the moon landing mission ‘Artemis 3’ was postponed until September 2026.
Just a few days ago, a private American mission sending the Peregrine lander to Earth’s satellite failed due to technical problems. On Thursday, the lunar probe burned up during a controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The capsule was originally scheduled to land in February in an area called Sinus Viscositatis (Bay of Stickiness), completing the first unmanned U.S. moon landing since the Apollo mission more than 50 years ago.
(sda/t-online)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
