Japan’s “Moon Sniper” mission took off on Thursday as part of the country’s effort to recover from recent setbacks in its space program. This launch came just weeks after India’s historic lunar triumph. Currently, only the United States, Russia, China, and India have successfully landed a probe on the Moon, while Japan has experienced two failed missions in the past.
The H-IIA rocket, witnessed by 35,000 people online, launched from Tanegashima Island early Thursday morning. It carries the lander, which is expected to touch down on the lunar surface in early 2024.
To the cheers and applause at mission control, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) and the XRISM space research satellite, developed in collaboration with the US and European space agencies, separated soon afterwards.
The launch was delayed three times due to bad weather. SLIM, also known as the “Moon Sniper,” is designed to land within 100 meters of a specific target on the lunar surface, which is significantly closer than previous missions. This achievement will enable humans to land on more resource-scarce planets in the future.
XRISM, on the other hand, will conduct high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of the hot gas plasma wind in galaxies. These observations will provide insights into the composition and evolution of celestial objects.
The lander is equipped with a spherical probe developed in collaboration with a toy company. It can change its shape to maneuver on the lunar surface and is slightly larger than a tennis ball.
India recently landed a craft near the Moon’s south pole, marking a historic triumph for its low-cost space program. This success came shortly after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years after a previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment. India also launched a probe to observe the Sun’s outermost layers.
Japan has faced its fair share of challenges as well. In the past, their lunar probe named Omotenashi was lost, and a Japanese startup called ispace failed in an attempt to become the first private company to land on the Moon. Japan has also experienced failures with its launch rockets. However, with the “Moon Sniper” mission, Japan aims to make a successful Moon landing.
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