Japan seeks to become the fifth country to reach the Moon with a research module

Japan seeks first successful landing of a module on the Moon Infobae America World

The Japanese Aerospace Agency (JAXA) is preparing to land a lunar module on the surface of Earth’s natural satellite, the most precise to date and which, if successfully completed, would make Japan the fifth country in the world to achieve this business .

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More than four months after its launch, the SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) module will begin a 20-minute countdown around midnight tonight, Friday through Saturday for the Moon landing.

JAXA confirmed that everything was going well and that the device carried out without incident on day 14 the apoluna positioning maneuver (the point of the orbit furthest from the Moon’s surface) necessary for descent.

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Since then the module has been maneuvering to position itself at the periluna point (the closest to the lunar surface), about 15 kilometers above sea level, in preparation for landing.

SLIM, launched on September 7, 2023, represents a new attempt by Japan to successfully make its first Moon landing after several failures.

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The module will try to touch the lunar surface within a radius of about 100 meters from the Shioli crater, near the lunar equator, a precision unprecedented so far, according to JAXA, which estimates that it will take a month to confirm whether these targets are satisfied.

The device, which does not exceed 3 meters on a side and weighs between 200 and 730 kilos depending on humidity, is designed to considerably increase the precision of landing on the Moon and reduce the size and weight of the equipment used in moon landings.

The Japanese Aerospace Agency hopes this mission will also help test crucial technology for exploration in low-gravity environments, the refinement of which is essential for future Solar System research.

The device will take images that will be used in the Artemis lunar exploration project, which aims to facilitate the return of humans to the Moon and ultimately the exploration of Mars, among other tasks.

Archive image of a model of the Japanese moon landing lander Hakuto-R Mission1 (Hakuto-R M1) is displayed at the National Museum of Emerging Sciences and Innovation in Tokyo, Japan (EFE/EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON)

If achieved, Japan would be the fifth country to land a module on the Moon, after the former Soviet Union, the United States, Canada and India.

JAXA has managed to land two devices on asteroids, but a landing on the Moon is more complex due to its low gravity.

Japan has long wanted to expand its role in the global space industry and to do so has intensified collaboration with, among others, the American NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The country, however, has suffered several setbacks in its space development program, the most significant of which was the failed launch of its new flagship rocket, the H3, the successor to the current H-2A and which seeks to compete in terms of costs with other devices from commercial suppliers, such as the American SpaceX.

Japan will make a second launch attempt on February 15 of the new projectile to put the DAICHI-3 Earth observation satellite into orbit, intended to assess areas affected by natural disasters.

(With information from EFE)

2024-01-19 11:44:00
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