Japan’s SLIM Moon Mission | 28 Aug 2024
Recently, Japan's space agency, JAXA, has concluded operations of its Moon lander, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), also known as the "Moon Sniper," after losing communication with it.
- This operation was halted after the failure of multiple attempts to establish connection with the SLIM spacecraft.
- About SLIM
- SLIM is a small-scale lunar lander designed for precise landings, reduced equipment size and weight, and investigating the Moon's origins.
- It was an uncrewed spacecraft that also aimed to test low-gravity exploration technology essential for future solar system exploration.
- It is nicknamed the "Moon Sniper" because of its ability to land very precisely on the Moon's surface.
- It made a soft landing on the Moon in January 2024, making Japan the 5th nation to achieve this feat.
- Other countries that have successfully achieved a soft lunar landing are India, Russia, the United States, and China.
- ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 Mission successfully soft-landed a lander on the moon, in the natural satellite’s south pole region.
