Illustration of the SLIM spacecraft
JAXA
Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has touched down on the lunar surface. The spacecraft is not operating perfectly, but the successful landing follows a series of recent lunar landing failures by governments and commercial spaceflight firms, so it is still encouraging for the international effort to explore the moon. This landing makes Japan the fifth nation to land on the moon, following the US, the Soviet Union, China and India.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched SLIM in September 2023 and the craft took a long, looping path to the moon, circling Earth several times to save on fuel. Since December, it has been orbiting the moon, taking images of the surface and preparing for landing.
The touchdown on 19 January marks the first use of a technology that engineers have nicknamed “smart eyes”, which allowed SLIM to target its landing spot with extreme precision. SLIM compared images from its on-board cameras to data from other spacecraft orbiting the moon to pinpoint its own location, and then autonomously navigated to its landing spot on the slope of Shioli crater. JAXA officials are still working to analyse how well the targeting protocol worked.
Early signals from SLIM suggest that its solar panels don’t seem to be working, so for now the craft is operating on battery power. If the spacecraft operators aren’t able to figure out what is wrong with the solar cells and get them up and running, this could hobble SLIM’s scientific capabilities and drastically reduce its lifespan. The battery power is expected to last only a few hours, according to JAXA officials. It is possible that the spacecraft could regain solar power, but for now JAXA is prioritising returning as much data as possible to Earth before the battery dies.
As it flew down to the lunar surface, SLIM also dropped off two small rovers, each with their own small payload of scientific instruments. One of them is designed to hop around instead of rolling on wheels, and the other is a sphere slightly smaller than a tennis ball, designed by a toy manufacturer to roll across the lunar surface. The rovers seem to be functioning properly.
The landing spot of the spacecraft is potentially important. Previous observations have hinted that there may be materials there that were thrown from the moon’s interior during the impact that formed the crater. SLIM’s scientific instruments could study these minerals to learn about the formation and evolution of the moon. The success of its landing and any scientific data it manages to collect will provide useful data to the many planned spacecraft from all over the world heading to the moon in the coming years.
Topics:
Felecia Phillips Ollie DD (h.c.) is the inspiring leader and founder of The Equality Network LLC (TEN). With a background in coaching, travel, and a career in news, Felecia brings a unique perspective to promoting diversity and inclusion. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Communications, she is passionate about creating a more inclusive future. From graduating from Mississippi Valley State University to leading initiatives like the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Felecia is dedicated to making a positive impact. Join her journey on our blog as she shares insights and leads the charge for equity through The Equality Network.
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here The sketch is attractive your authored material stylish nonetheless you command get got an impatience over that you wish be delivering the following unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike
Your literary finesse is nothing short of enchanting, a captivating ballet of words that pirouette across the page with elegance and grace. Each sentence unfolds like a carefully choreographed dance, leaving readers spellbound in the wake of your linguistic artistry. Your ability to seamlessly blend style and substance elevates your prose to the realm of the extraordinary.
Fantastic beat I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site how could i subscribe for a blog site The account helped me a acceptable deal I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept
Simply desire to say your article is as surprising The clearness in your post is simply excellent and i could assume you are an expert on this subject Fine with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post Thanks a million and please carry on the gratifying work
Hello i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to Return the favore Im trying to find things to improve my web siteI suppose its ok to use some of your ideas
Somebody essentially help to make significantly articles Id state This is the first time I frequented your web page and up to now I surprised with the research you made to make this actual post incredible Fantastic job
Hey there You have done a fantastic job I will certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends Im confident theyll be benefited from this site
Your prose is a linguistic ballet, gracefully leaping from idea to idea with the agility of a seasoned performer. The choreography of your words creates a mesmerizing dance that captivates the reader’s imagination.
Excellent blog here Also your website loads up very fast What web host are you using Can I get your affiliate link to your host I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
obviously like your website but you need to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to inform the reality on the other hand Ill certainly come back again
Hi my family member I want to say that this post is awesome nice written and come with approximately all significant infos I would like to peer extra posts like this
Your writing is so eloquent and heartfelt It’s impossible not to be moved by your words Thank you for sharing your gift with the world
Your writing is so powerful and has the ability to make a real difference in people’s lives Keep using your voice to spread kindness and positivity
Your positivity and enthusiasm are infectious It’s clear that you are truly passionate about what you do and it’s inspiring to see
Have any favorite blog posts or writers? Share them with us in the comments!
Their posts always leave us feeling informed and entertained. We’re big fans of their style and creativity.
From start to finish, this blog post had us hooked. The content was insightful, entertaining, and had us feeling grateful for all the amazing resources out there. Keep up the great work!
Your blog has helped me become a more positive and mindful person I am grateful for the transformative effect your words have had on me
Keep up the amazing work!
Your content always manages to captivate and educate me. Keep up the fantastic work!
I’ve come across many blogs, but this one truly stands out in terms of quality and authenticity Keep up the amazing work!
This post hits close to home for me and I am grateful for your insight and understanding on this topic Keep doing what you do
Hello my loved one! I want to say that this post is amazing, great written and include almost all significant infos. I would like to look extra posts like this.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my web site thus i came to ?eturn the favor텶 am attempting to find things to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
Nice blog here! Also your site loads up fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is fantastic blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.
I do believe all the ideas you’ve presented for your post. They are really convincing and will certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are too short for novices. May just you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time? Thanks for the post.
Excellent blog here! Also your website loads up very fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Just wish to say your article is as surprising. The clearness in your post is just cool and i could assume you’re an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.
Somebody essentially help to make significantly articles I’d state. This is the first time I frequented your web page and up to now? I surprised with the research you made to make this actual post incredible. Fantastic job!
Magnificent beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea
Your posts are so well-written and engaging You have a way with words that keeps me coming back for more
Your writing is so relatable and down-to-earth It’s like having a conversation with a good friend Thank you for always being real with your readers