The lunar lander will now circle the moon for several weeks. The landing will in principle take place on January 19 around 4 p.m. Belgian time. The landing itself is scheduled for 20 minutes later, JAXA said.
SLIM would have to land a maximum of barely 100 meters from the target, while for a moon landing this could normally be several kilometers or even more. JAXA is talking about an “unprecedented precision landing”. The lunar lander carries a special instrument for this purpose, the size of a tennis ball. Because the lunar lander would land so precisely, it was nicknamed the “Moon Sniper”, as precise as a sniper, so to speak.
Precise landing offers additional advantages, because the right surface or location can be chosen, such as rock or a crater. It can also make the search for water easier.
In September, the launch vehicle with SLIM on board left Japan. The departure of the “Moon Sniper” with the H-IIA missile was followed by 35,000 spectators.
2023-12-25 14:08:00
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