Japan's First Moon Lander Successfully Hits Target, But Lands Upside-Down
Japan's space agency, JAXA, has successfully landed its first lunar mission on the moon's surface, but the probe appears to be lying upside-down.
Perfect Landing, But Upside-Down
Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) successfully hit the tiny patch of the moon's surface it was aiming for, marking Japan as the fifth country in history to reach the moon. However, the probe landed upside-down due to a problem with its solar batteries, making it difficult to determine the initial landing location and conditions. The lander's main engine also experienced a loss of thrust just meters above the surface, causing a harder landing than planned.
Improved Landing Accuracy
Unlike previous lunar landers that used landing zones about 10 kilometers wide, SLIM aimed for a target zone of just 100 meters. The improved accuracy would allow scientists to access more areas of the moon, as future probes could be placed nearer to obstacles. Despite the landing mishap, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) project manager Shinichiro Sakai expressed his satisfaction with the mission, stating that SLIM successfully demonstrated its ability to land where intended, opening a new era in lunar exploration.
Data Collection and Future Missions
Despite the upside-down landing, SLIM's autonomous probes, LEV-1 and LEV-2, successfully captured and transmitted images of the lunar surface back to Earth. These images will aid in analyzing the moon's origin and mineral composition. JAXA plans to conduct further tests on SLIM's systems and hopes that the probe will be able to recharge its solar panels when the Moon enters its daytime. The success of the SLIM mission has boosted confidence in Japan's space technology and paves the way for future lunar missions.
