– Japanese lunar probe has problems after landing
It seems that Japan managed to land softly on the Moon. However, a component of the “SLIM” lander is causing problems.
Published today at 3.13am
If the soft landing status remains, Japan will be the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the Earth satellite after the former Soviet Union, the United States, China and India.
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Japan succeeded in its planned soft landing on the Moon on Friday evening, but there were problems with energy supplies. The solar panel does not provide electricity, it was explained at a press conference with experts from the Japanese space agency Jaxa. The “SLIM” (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) lander is still communicating with the ground station and receiving data. The battery capacity is expected to last a few hours, so you need to get as much data as possible.
Further results can only be expected with new evaluations, it was said in the evening. At present, the solar panel is not damaged. It was initially unclear whether it was an unfavorable alignment or other issues. Likewise, if there is a solution and if the panel could still provide electricity soon. It was also not yet possible to say whether the unmanned landing occurred as expected within a 100 meter zone.
Last April, a private Japanese company failed in a similar mission. The reason given by the Ispace company was a miscalculation of the lander’s altitude.
The American capsule burns
About ten days ago the American company Astrobotic failed to get the “Peregrine” lander into the air. The American mission began successfully, but then problems occurred with the propulsion system. Engineers managed to temporarily stabilize the capsule, but the goal of landing on the Moon had to be abandoned. A valve likely malfunctioned, Astrobotic chief John Thornton said at a news conference Friday. It would have been the first private moon landing.
Astrobotic wants to start the next experiment by the end of the year: the “Griffin” lander should be sent to the Moon with a NASA rover on board. The launch is currently scheduled for November, but the problems with “Peregrine” still need to be thoroughly studied beforehand.
The Japanese lander “SLIM” left for the moon from Japan’s Tanegashima spaceport last September aboard an H2A carrier rocket. Japan’s Jaxa space agency hoped that a successful precision landing of the 2.4-meter-tall probe would usher in the transition from an era of “landing where we can” to an era of “landing where we want.”
NASA wants to put humans on the Moon
The ability to land precisely and “SLIM” information on the properties of the Moon’s surface will be used in future lunar missions, for example as part of the US-led “Artemis” program. NASA wants to return humans to the Moon after more than 50 years, even though the “Artemis 3” lunar landing mission was postponed to September 2026 just last week.
Experts attribute the problems associated with the current Moon landings, among other things, to the fact that much knowledge has been lost from the missions of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The researchers and engineers involved at the time are now very old or dead and can no longer contribute their knowledge, Ulrich Walter, professor of space technology at the Technical University of Munich and former astronaut, explained recently. “These days we’re basically starting over from scratch.”
Lunar modules are now equipped with much more software than before. This has advantages, for example flight maneuvers can be adjusted spontaneously. On the other hand, software is also prone to errors. “I estimate that about half of the failed moon landings in recent years have been due to faulty software,” Walter said.
China and India in particular have benefited from the fact that they have been continuously developing their space travel for decades, Walter says. According to the plans of the Chinese government, compatriots should be on the Moon by 2030: if there are further delays in the “Artemis” program, it is not inconceivable that they will be more likely to walk there than the first new US moonwalkers.
According to the Japanese business daily Nikkei Asia, “SLIM” missions include a joint project with India to explore water resources in the polar regions in 2025. Furthermore, the automotive giant Toyota Motor and the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) group they are developing a rover for use by astronauts on the Moon. Both companies are expected to begin developing a model this year, which is expected to launch in 2029.
Unlike the United States, India or China, according to “Nikkei Asia” Japan today does not have the financial means to carry out large space missions on its own. Japan’s strategy is therefore to develop technologies and become an indispensable partner.
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2024-01-20 02:13:54
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