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In a historic achievement, Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft successfully landed on the lunar surface on Friday, marking Japan as the fifth country to achieve a robotic lunar landing. The mission aimed to demonstrate precise landing technology, showcasing the capability to set down within 100 meters of a target point.
SLIM began its descent from a 15-kilometer perilune at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on January 19, decelerating from a speed of approximately 1,700 meters per second. The live-streamed event left viewers in suspense as the landing confirmation was not immediately clear. Signals received from SLIM and the accompanying Lunar Excursion Vehicle 1 (LEV-1) in Madrid and amateur tracking stations hinted at success.
Confirmation of the landing's success came during a press conference held nearly two hours after the landing, with JAXA officials reporting that the spacecraft had survived the landing and was transmitting data. However, an issue with the solar cells preventing electricity generation raised concerns. Teams are currently working on battery power to maximize data gathering and scientific output.
The mission aimed to showcase precise landing technology, allowing SLIM to land within 100 meters of a designated target point. The spacecraft targeted a landing within the sloped rim of the 300-meter-wide Shioli crater. While the landing success is confirmed, the accuracy assessment of the "pinpoint" landing will take up to a month, relying on observations from lunar orbit.
Katherine Joy, a Reader in Earth Sciences at the University of Manchester, emphasized the importance of precise landings for scientific exploration. The success of the SLIM mission opens doors to exploring intriguing lunar locations and addressing key scientific questions about the Moon's evolution and potential resources.
SLIM, equipped with five crushable 3D-printed aluminum lattice landing legs, will spend the lunar daytime, approximately 14 Earth days, conducting science objectives. The Multi-Band Camera (MBC) onboard will analyze the composition of the Shioli crater, particularly searching for the presence of olivine, a mineral potentially ejected from beneath the moon's crust.
Two innovative rovers, LEV-1 and LEV-2, separated successfully and are operational on the lunar surface. LEV-1 employs a hopping mechanism, while LEV-2, a baseball-sized, spherical rover, carries cameras and science payloads.
SLIM launched on September 6, 2023, completing a 110-day voyage to the moon on December 25, entering lunar orbit. The spacecraft's flight profile optimized propellant usage and allowed for a higher science payload mass. The lunar landing is part of a wave of 2024 missions, including China's lunar far side sample return mission and U.S. firm Intuitive Machines' planned landings.
The successful SLIM mission showcases not only technological prowess but also the renewed global interest in lunar exploration, especially around the lunar south pole and potential water-ice sources. The blog will be updated with further details as JAXA continues to analyze data and conducts subsequent press conferences in the coming weeks.
[Image Source: ISAS_JAXA Twitter]
Edited by: www.linkedin.com/in/shri-sanjay-i-s
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