In a quest for lunar exploration, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Smart lander for investigating moon(SLIM)probe is composed to execute a mesmerizing 20-minute touchdown ballet on it’s one-way lunar mission.
Scheduled to commence the delicate descent at the stroke of midnight this Saturday (1500 GMT Friday), the mission aims to land on a target site comparable in size to two athletic tracks nestled along the sloped of a crater just south of the lunar equator.
With this endeavour, Japan is on the verge of etching it’s name in the annals of space exploration history, as no other nation has triumphed in this remarkable lunar feat. Expressing optimism and pride, Shinichiro Sakai, JAXA’s SLIM project manager, asserted “No other nation has achieved this, proving Japan has this technology would bring us huge advantage in upcoming international missions like Artemis”
“The technologies we are deploying now are systems very important for future lunar explorations, we want to keep sending many probes to the moons surface from Japan by applying these technologies. concrete plans include the lunar polar exploration mission(LUPEX) and a crewed pressurized rover to deploy astronauts”, said Kuninaka Hitoshi, JAXA’s Director General. He further added that this technology is expected to be used not only in going to the moon but also in our exploration of mars.
JAXA asserts that it’s high-precision technology will become a powerful tool in future exploration of hilly moon poles, seen as a potential source of oxygen, fuel and water. Japan also plans a joint unmanned lunar polar exploration with India in 2025.
“For lunar project development, Japan can’t beat the U.S, China or India in terms of resources”, said Kazuto Saiki, a Ritsumeikan University professor who developed SLIM’s near-infrared camera that will analyse moon rocks after the landing.
“We should focus on building sought-after technologies like the pinpoint landing and near-infrared cameras which overseas exploration projects will strive to adopt”
JAXA anticipates spending up to a month to confirm the success of SLIM in achieving its high-precision objectives following the touchdown. Upon landing, SLIM will release two compact probesa hopping vehicle, comparable in size to a microwave oven, and a baseball-sized wheeled rover.
These miniaturized explorers are designed to capture images of the spacecraft.
The collaborative effort behind these robotic companions involves the technological expertise of renowned entities such as Sony Group, toymaker Tomy, and multiple Japanese universities.
Follow us
