Japan’s Slim lunar lander landed on the moon’s surface just 55 meters from its target. The Japanese space agency Jaxa released the first image of the mission on Thursday, showing the lunar lander standing on its side.
Thursday January 25, 2024 at 4:19 PM
The Japanese had programmed Slim in such a way that he would compare his own camera images of the moon’s surface with existing satellite photos of the moon while flying. According to Jaxa, this technology can help to safely land landers in inhospitable terrain, for example on the hilly moon poles. The goal of landing the spacecraft within 100 meters of its target was achieved with only 55 meters. Such equipment often lands miles further than planned.
The precise moon landing is a boost that the Japanese were able to highlight during a press conference on Thursday. Shortly after the successful landing, they had to take out Slim because his solar panels were not working properly. The data about the landing had already been forwarded and the Japanese shared a first photo. It was made by a lunar rover the size of a baseball.
Because the lunar lander is not positioned properly, the solar panels cannot generate electricity. Jaxa hopes the panels will capture sunlight next week. It was the first time that Japan was able to land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon, the fifth country to do so.
