Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the td-cloud-library domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/gazldsmh/newsnow.lk/english.newsnow.lk/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6122
Japan moon probe enters lunar orbit, on target to become fifth country to achieve landing on January 20 - NewsNow - English

Japan moon probe enters lunar orbit, on target to become fifth country to achieve landing on January 20

Date:

Japan’s SLIM space probe has entered the moon’s orbit in a major step towards the country’s first successful lunar landing, expected next month.

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” because it is designed to land within 100 metres (328 feet) of a specific target on the lunar surface.

If successful, the touchdown would make Japan only the fifth country to have successfully landed a probe on the Moon, after the United States, Russia, China and India.

On Monday, SLIM “successfully entered the moon’s orbit at 04.51pm Japan time”, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in a statement.

“Its trajectory shift was achieved as originally planned, and there is nothing out of the ordinary about the probe’s conditions,” the agency said.

The lander’s descent towards the moon is expected to start around midnight Japan time on January 20, with its landing on the surface scheduled for 20 minutes later, JAXA said.

The H-IIA rocket lifted off in September from the southern island of Tanegashima carrying the lander, after three postponements linked to bad weather.

JAXA said this month that the mission would be an “unprecedentedly high precision landing” on the Moon.

The lander is equipped with a spherical probe that was developed with a toy company. Slightly bigger than a tennis ball, it can change its shape to move on the lunar surface.

Compared to previous probes that landed “a few or 10-plus kilometres” away from targets, SLIM’s purported margin of error of under 100 metres suggests a level of accuracy once thought impossible, thanks to the culmination of a 20-year effort by researchers, according to JAXA.

With the advance of technology, demand is growing to pinpoint targets like craters and rocks on the lunar surface, Shinichiro Sakai, JAXA’s SLIM project manager, told reporters this month.

“Gone are the days when merely exploring ‘somewhere on the moon’ was desired,” he said.

Hopes are also high that SLIM’s exactitude will make sampling of lunar permafrost easier, bringing scientists a step closer to uncovering the mystery around water resources on the moon, Sakai added.

Japanese missions have failed twice – one public and one private.

Last year, the country unsuccessfully sent a lunar probe named Omotenashi as part of the United States’ Artemis 1 mission.

In April, Japanese start-up ispace tried in vain to become the first private company to land on the Moon, losing communication with its craft after what it described as a “hard landing”.

Source – AFP

–Agencies

Share post:

Latest News

Popular

More like this
Related

Colombo Magistrate’s Court Acquits Accused in 2008 White Van Assault Case

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court No. 3, presided over by...

Sri Lanka Ambassador Explores Digital Economy Partnership with Riyadh-Based Digital Cooperation Organization

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,...

Bilateral discussions focusing avenues to enhance defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and Türkiye

The 17th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF 2025), one...

National Shoora Council Engages with Opposition Muslim MPs on National and Community Issues

In a move aimed at fostering dialogue on national...