Japan Moon Mission: SLIM Spacecraft Lands on Lunar Surface, Fifth Country To Do So (Watch Video)

Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) successfully made a soft landing on the Moon on Friday, January 19, making Japan the world's fifth country to achieve this milestone. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency attempted to land the probe, also known as "Moon Sniper," within 100 meters (328 feet) of the target. It will take up to a month to verify if SLIM has met its precision goals, according to the agency, as reported by Reuters.

SLIM is a lightweight spacecraft approximately the size of a passenger vehicle, utilizing "pinpoint landing" technology for greater control than previous moon landings. The mission's primary objective is to test new landing technology that enhances the precision of moon landings. Following the landing, the spacecraft will investigate the moon's origin and analyze minerals using a special camera.

＼Finally from 23:00 JST today／
[SLIM Moon landing: live broadcast 🌓]

Jan. 19 (Fri) 23:00~ JST
🔗 https://t.co/FTjt0Dm4tk
Please support SLIM as they take on the challenge of a high-precision pinpoint landing✨

You can send us your messages using the hashtag #SLIMMoonLive 📣 pic.twitter.com/L7i1QWOy4v

— JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (@ISAS_JAXA_EN) January 19, 2024

Last year, India became the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the moon's south pole, a region believed to contain perpetually darkened craters holding frozen water that could be crucial for future missions.