Japan’s space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), unveiled surprising details about its lunar mission, revealing that its “moon sniper” robotic explorer, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), landed approximately 55 meters (165 feet) away from its intended target. Despite encountering issues during the descent that jeopardized the mission, JAXA considers this landing a “significant achievement.”
SLIM touched down on the moon’s surface on January 19, just after 10:20 a.m. ET (12:20 a.m. Japan Standard Time). However, at around 50 meters above the surface, an anomaly occurred, resulting in the loss of thrust from one of the main engines. This forced the spacecraft to land on its nose, with its main engine facing upward, contrary to the planned vertical position. The solar panels, now facing west instead of upward, operate on limited battery power.
JAXA turned off the lander’s battery to preserve functionality, hoping that if it survives the lunar night’s frigid temperatures, sunlight angle changes might restore power generation. Despite challenges, JAXA praised the landing as a “significant achievement for future lunar and planetary exploration,” showcasing SLIM’s precision technology for a pinpoint landing.
The agency communicated with SLIM after landing and released the first images captured by the lander’s multi-band camera. The 257 low-resolution images formed a mosaic depicting the lunar landscape around SLIM. Although the lander’s future operations are uncertain, the mission team aims to conduct more observations if SLIM reactivates.
Japan’s lunar achievement marked it as the third country this century and the fifth ever to land on the moon. JAXA is investigating the anomaly during landing and engine functionality loss, expressing hope that SLIM’s technology can benefit future space missions.
In addition to SLIM, the mission successfully released two lunar rovers, LEV-1 and LEV-2, achieving a groundbreaking milestone in direct data transmission from the lunar surface. The LEV-1 rover, using a hopping mechanism, completed its initial objectives, and both rovers offer valuable insights for future lunar explorations.
JAXA’s lunar mission showcases technological advancements and lays the groundwork for future space exploration, emphasizing Japan’s growing role in space endeavors.
