CNN reports that Japan’s space agency “said Thursday that its ‘moon sniper’ robotic explorer landed 55 meters (165 feet) from its target on the lunar surface last week, calling it a ‘significant achievement’ despite problems during the landing that put the mission in jeopardy.” The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission “reached the moon’s surface just after 10:20 a.m. ET (12:20 a.m. Saturday Japan Standard Time) on January 19, according to data shared by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.” During its descent, the spacecraft experienced “some kind of anomaly” at a “distance of around 50 meters (165 feet) above the surface, JAXA officials said in a news conference.” The thrust from “one of the main engines was lost as a result, forcing the spacecraft to land on its nose with its ‘main engine facing upward and in an almost vertical position.’”
Full Story (CNN)
Tag: On surface of the Moon
Japan Becomes Fifth Country to Land a Spacecraft on the Moon
ABC News reports “Japan became the fifth country in history to reach the moon” when one of its uncrewed spacecrafts “successfully made a soft landing on the lunar surface early Saturday.” Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down within the Shioli crater at 10:20 a.m. Eastern, Jan. 19 (12:20 a.m. JST, Jan. 20). JAXA confirmed the successful landing approximately two hours later. Japanese space officials “said the craft’s solar panel had failed to generate power, which could shorten its activity on the moon.” Japan joins the US, China, the Soviet Union, and India as all having made it to the lunar surface.
Full Story (ABC News)