Japan has become the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the moon

[FearlessRoar]

Japan staked a claim among national space powers on Friday, as its SLIM spacecraft reached the lunar surface.

The country’s SLIM lander launched in September and touched down on the lunar surface around 10:20 a.m. ET, according to telemetry readings by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. Engineers were checking the status of the spacecraft shortly after its landing.

The feat makes Japan the fifth country to land on the moon, following Russia (then the Soviet Union), the U.S., China and India. Last year, India joined the list of moon landings with its Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Japan’s SLIM, which stands for “Smart Lander for Investigating Moon,” is a cargo research mission. It carries a variety of scientific payloads, including an analysis camera and a pair of lunar rovers.

Governments and private companies alike have made more than 50 attempts to land on the moon with mixed success since the first attempts in the early 1960s, a track record that’s remained shaky even in the modern era.

Last year, Japanese company ispace made its first attempt to land on the moon, but the spacecraft crashed in the final moments. And, earlier this month, U.S. company Astrobotic got its first moon mission off the ground but encountered problems shortly after launch. The flight was cut short and failed to make a lunar landing attempt.

More attempts are on the way, with U.S. companies Intuitive Machines and Firefly preparing to fly moon landers this year, while China plans to launch another lunar lander in May.

Source: CNBC

Japan's SLIM spacecraft reaches lunar surface in historic moon mission

Japan's JAXA SLIM spacecraft made contact with the moon's surface Friday morning.

www.cnbc.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Now nations are competing in technologies and reaching the moon, while we Pakistanis still face energy and economic crises.

 

[JaDed]

Now nations are competing in technologies and reaching the moon, while we Pakistanis still face energy and economic crises.

Arabs nations don’t have moon missions either , it depends upon what you desire for Pakistanis, Arabs will just pay for flying to the moon.

 

[Hitman]

Congrats!

 

[sweep_shot]

This seem like a fad and showing off.

How can it benefit Japanese people by sending a craft to moon? Why not use that money on Earth to make lives better?

 

[JaDed]

This seem like a fad and showing off.

How can it benefit Japanese people by sending a craft to moon? Why not use that money on Earth to make lives better?

Is internet a fad? How do you think internet was made?

 

[IndoorCricket]

This seem like a fad and showing off.

How can it benefit Japanese people by sending a craft to moon? Why not use that money on Earth to make lives better?

Space exploration is the bleeding edge of technology. Any space exploration advancements will help humanity to push boundaries and inspire human spirit.

When I was a kid I used to watch alot of documentaries on space and was astonished by the sheer "space" it has and how minuscule everything is. Made me choose science as my major. Still watch good space documentaries every now and then.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Space exploration is the bleeding edge of technology. Any space exploration advancements will help humanity to push boundaries and inspire human spirit.

When I was a kid I used to watch alot of documentaries on space and was astonished by the sheer "space" it has and how minuscule everything is. Made me choose science as my major. Still watch good space documentaries every now and then.

Not sure what you mean by inspire human spirit? Most people have no clue whats going on in space.

Btw what happened to India's rover?

 

[sweep_shot]

Not sure what you mean by inspire human spirit? Most people have no clue whats going on in space.

Btw what happened to India's rover?

Extensive space exploration is pointless.

Better to use that money to make Earth better. They didn't even explore majority of the deep oceans.

We can use all our sciences to make Earth better first.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Extensive space exploration is pointless.

Better to use that money to make Earth better. They didn't even explore majority of the deep oceans.

We can use all our sciences to make Earth better first.

Most space programs are in reality for the beneift of military. Trump didnt talk about star wars for the betterment of mankind.

We are in the realm of a possibility of nuclear war, which would be devastating for mankind but no effort being made, instead send a robot to the moon and all will be fine.

Im saying this as someone who enjoys space, astronomy etc. To me the more Ive learned the more it strengthens my faith in God.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Japan lands on Moon but glitch threatens mission​

A Japanese robot has successfully touched down on the Moon but problems with its solar power system mean the mission may live for just a few hours.

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim) put itself gently on the lunar surface near an equatorial crater.

The feat made the Asian nation only the fifth country to soft-land on Earth's natural satellite, after the US, the Soviet Union, China and India.

Engineers are now battling to save the mission, however.

For reasons not yet fully understood, the craft's solar cells will not generate electricity.

This leaves Slim totally reliant on its batteries and these will eventually discharge. When they do, the craft will go silent. It won't receive commands and it won't be able to talk to Earth.

Engineers are currently prioritising activities.

They've turned off heaters and are pulling down pictures from the craft. They're also retrieving data that will tell them how well the landing software worked.

Japanese space agency (Jaxa) officials will not immediately give up on Slim if it does fall silent. It's always possible the solar cells have somehow become oriented in a way that prevents them from seeing the Sun.

As light angles change on the Moon, it was possible Slim could come back to life, the officials said.

Source: BBC News

 

[FearlessRoar]

This seem like a fad and showing off.

How can it benefit Japanese people by sending a craft to moon? Why not use that money on Earth to make lives better?

Sending crafts and astronauts to the moon isn't just about space stuff. it's actually pretty cool for a bunch of reasons.We get to learn about how our solar system and Earth formed, discover new technologies, and there could even be valuable resources up there. Plus, it's not just one country doing it, lots of nations are teaming up for these missions. And who knows, maybe one day we'll have people living on the moon! It's not just science,it's like a whole adventure inspiring the next generation of space enthusiasts.

 

[Suleiman]

Congrats on the achievement while being humble and taking care of the Japanese people first and foremost before these sort of achievements. That’s when these sort of victories can really be enjoyed.

 

[BouncerGuy]

So japan enters the space race as well now. Good for them.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Japan hopes sunlight can save stricken Slim Moon lander

Japan may yet manage to salvage its Moon lander, the country's space agency Jaxa says - if sunlight hits it in the right place.

The Slim spacecraft was turned off just three hours after its historic lunar touchdown on Saturday to save power.

Engineers had realised its solar cells were pointing west, away from the Sun, and could not generate electricity.

But the mission team is now hopeful the situation could improve as lighting conditions shift.

"If sunlight hits the Moon from the west in the future, we believe there's a possibility of power generation, and we're currently preparing for restoration," the Jaxa statement read.

The Slim mission - also nicknamed "Moon Sniper" for its use of precision-landing technologies - made Japan only the fifth nation in history to complete a soft lunar touchdown.

But the joy of seeing the craft complete its controlled descent soon turned to worry as power levels drained away.

Rather than let the battery system go completely flat, the decision was taken to put the craft to sleep.

"The battery was disconnected according to our procedures with 12% power remaining, in order to avoid a situation where the restart (of the lander) would be hampered," Jaxa said.

"As a result, the spacecraft was switched off at 02:57 (Saturday, Japan time, or 17:57 GMT, Friday)."

Japan hopes sunlight can save stricken Slim Moon lander

The Slim spacecraft was switched off after failing to generate power - but the Sun may now revive it.

www.bbc.com

 

[shortbread]

I know it's a futile argument, the country threw science in the back burner long ago. Endeavours that pushed the boundaries of research for any entity will mean that they innovate to find solutions when facing new challenges. Solar panels, compact cameras used in phones today etc... it's a long list, they all benefit mankind. You don't let innovation and science wait for rest of the world to catch up.

 

[hassan918]

It cames as a bit of surprise to me that Japan took this long to land a spacecraft on the moon.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Moon lander: Japan's Slim reactivates and gets to work


After the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) re-established contact with its Moon lander on Sunday night, the craft started to study its surroundings in detail and transmit new images to Earth.

The lander is carrying out analysis that could inform future, much longer missions to the Moon.

One lunar scientist told BBC News: "Now we're really seeing the science."

The craft is at a very awkward angle. A picture, captured by the small baseball-sized robot called Sora-Q - which was ejected from Slim moments before touchdown - showed the lander face-down on the lunar surface.

That left its solar panels facing away from the sunlight and unable to generate power. The decision was taken to put the lander into sleep mode - and conserve what power remained - less than three hours after it landed.

That tactic appears to have worked. A change in the direction of the sunlight has now "awoken" the craft.

Moon lander: Japan's Slim reactivates and gets to work

The reawakened craft has begun detailed analysis of the lunar surface including nearby rocks

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Japan Moon lander survives lunar night

Japan's Moon lander has survived the harsh lunar night, the sunless and freezing equivalent to two Earth weeks.

"Last night, a command was sent to #SLIM and a response received," national space agency Jaxa said on X.

The craft was put into sleep mode after an awkward landing in January left its solar panels facing the wrong way and unable to generate power.

A change in sunlight direction later allowed it to send pictures back but it shut down again as lunar night fell.

Jaxa said at the time that Slim (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) was not designed for the harsh lunar nights.

It said it planned to try to operate again from mid-February, when the Sun would shine again on Slim's solar cells.

"The news that SLIM has rebooted itself after the cold lunar night is significant," said Dr Simeon Barber from the UK's Open University. "Surviving lunar night is one of the key technological challenges to be overcome if we are to establish long-lived robotic or human missions on the Moon."

Dr Barber explained that Slim landed near the Moon's equator, where the lunar surface reaches more than 100C at noon, but then plunges to -130C during the lunar night.

Jaxa said that communication with the lander was terminated after a short time - it was lunar midday, meaning the temperature of the communications equipment was very high.

But it posted the following picture on X, which it said was taken from the lander while it was back in action.



BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Japan Moon lander survives lunar night

Japan's Moon lander has survived the harsh lunar night, the sunless and freezing equivalent to two Earth weeks.

"Last night, a command was sent to #SLIM and a response received," national space agency Jaxa said on X.

The craft was put into sleep mode after an awkward landing in January left its solar panels facing the wrong way and unable to generate power.

A change in sunlight direction later allowed it to send pictures back but it shut down again as lunar night fell.

Jaxa said at the time that Slim (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) was not designed for the harsh lunar nights.

It said it planned to try to operate again from mid-February, when the Sun would shine again on Slim's solar cells.

"The news that SLIM has rebooted itself after the cold lunar night is significant," said Dr Simeon Barber from the UK's Open University. "Surviving lunar night is one of the key technological challenges to be overcome if we are to establish long-lived robotic or human missions on the Moon."

Dr Barber explained that Slim landed near the Moon's equator, where the lunar surface reaches more than 100C at noon, but then plunges to -130C during the lunar night.

Jaxa said that communication with the lander was terminated after a short time - it was lunar midday, meaning the temperature of the communications equipment was very high.

But it posted the following picture on X, which it said was taken from the lander while it was back in action.



BBC

Don't know what they are trying to achieve by going to the moon.... it's just a waste of money and resources to get nothing.

 

[JaDed]

Don't know what they are trying to achieve by going to the moon.... it's just a waste of money and resources to get nothing.

Still unable to understand this thought process, any reason why you think this doesn’t unleash other innovations?

 

[BouncerGuy]

Every country wants to go to the moon to show the world, how technologically advanced they are. Nothing else. It has just become a race now without much to get out of it.

 

[sweep_shot]

Every country wants to go to the moon to show the world, how technologically advanced they are. Nothing else. It has just become a race now without much to get out of it.

Exactly.

I personally feel it is just a gimmick. A costly gimmick.

 

[JaDed]

Every country wants to go to the moon to show the world, how technologically advanced they are. Nothing else. It has just become a race now without much to get out of it.

That’s not true they are just making sure they have inhouse technology for travel because depending upon countries anymore can be a liability as seen after covid, globalisation comes at a cost.
This is exactly what people thought about IT /Chips and computers in 1980s

 

[JaDed]

Exactly.

I personally feel it is just a gimmick. A costly gimmick.

Can you name the gimmick and country you are referring to and the reason why its costly in your opinion? Inspite of all innovations that have come due to ti?

 

[sweep_shot]

Can you name the gimmick and country you are referring to and the reason why its costly in your opinion? Inspite of all innovations that have come due to ti?

Apart from US and Russia, it is a gimmick for other countries.

It is just to show off I guess.

 

[JaDed]

Apart from US and Russia, it is a gimmick for other countries.

It is just to show off I guess.

Why is it a gimmick for India? ISRO is a profitable organisation and it’s achievements have triggered many Startups, inspired many children.

Kalpana Chawla had inspired so many Indian women.Do you think inspiring STEM graduates is a gimmick?

Also how is it not a gimmick for Russia? They tried to compete with India on landing before us and crashed out, making it super costly for them.

 

[FearlessRoar]

First non-American on the Moon will be a Japanese astronaut, says Biden​

The offer to Japan -- an opportunity many nations have long dreamed of -- came as part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's state visit, and as Washington seeks to strengthen ties with its key Asian ally.

"Two Japanese astronauts will join future American missions, and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the Moon," Biden said in a press conference with Kishida.

Kishida hailed the announcement as a "huge achievement" and announced that Japan would in return supply a rover for the program.

NASA's Artemis program seeks to return humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, and to build a sustained lunar presence ahead of potential missions to Mars.

Between 1969 and 1972, the US Apollo program saw 12 Americans -- all white men -- walk on the Moon.

NASA previously announced that the Artemis program would see the first woman and the first person of color land on the Moon.

"America will no longer walk on the Moon alone," NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a video published on social media.

"Diplomacy is good for discovery. And discovery is good for diplomacy," he added.

The first mission to take astronauts to the lunar surface, Artemis 3, is planned for 2026. China meanwhile has said it seeks to put humans on the Moon by 2030.

Tokyo and Washington have worked together in the space sector for years, notably collaborating on operations at the International Space Station (ISS).

And this year, Japan became the fifth country to succeed in landing a spacecraft on the Moon, with its SLIM craft touching down in January.

In a joint media release, the United States and Japan clarified that a Japanese national would land on the Moon "assuming important benchmarks are achieved," without clarifying further.

The lunar rover provided by Japan in return will be pressurised, meaning astronauts can travel farther and work for longer periods on the lunar surface, according to the statement.

It added that the pressurised rover will accommodate two astronauts in the "mobile habitat and laboratory" for up to 30 days as they explore the area near the lunar South Pole.

NASA currently plans to use the rover on the future Artemis 7 mission, followed by subsequent missions over a 10-year lifespan.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has three seats reserved for future Artemis missions in exchange for technological contributions to the program.

However, it is still unclear whether European astronauts will have the chance to step foot on the Moon or just fly around it.

Daniel Neuenschwander, director of human and robotic exploration at the ESA, said these details of the agreement with NASA were still "subject to further discussions."

Neuenschwander added in a phone interview with AFP on Wednesday that he could "perfectly understand" the cooperation between the United States and Japan, acknowledging "geostrategic" motives for the agreement.

The Artemis space program was inaugurated in 2022 with Artemis 1, which successfully flew an uncrewed vessel around the Moon.

Artemis 2 is planned for 2025 and will send four astronauts around the Moon without landing. The crew will consist of three Americans and a Canadian, who are currently in training.

The first crewed landing on the Moon will be Artemis 3, currently scheduled for 2026. NASA has not yet announced who will take part in the mission.

First non-American on the Moon will be a Japanese astronaut, says Biden

A lucky Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the Moon during one of NASA's upcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.

www.france24.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Against all odds! Japan's Moon Lander defies expectations, thriving after 3 weeks in Lunar darkness

Japan’s first moon lander has survived a third freezing lunar night, Japan’s space agency said Wednesday after receiving an image from the device three months after it landed on the moon.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the lunar probe responded to a signal from the earth Tuesday night, confirming it has survived another weekslong lunar night.

Temperatures can fall to minus 170 degrees Celsius (minus 274 degrees Fahrenheit) during a lunar night, and rise to around 100 Celsius (212 Fahrenheit) during a lunar day.

The probe, Smart Lander for Investing Moon, or SLIM, reached the lunar surface on Jan. 20, making Japan the fifth country to successfully place a probe on the moon. SLIM on Jan. 20 landed the wrong way up with its solar panels initially unable to see the sun, and had to be turned off within hours, but powered on when the sun rose eight days later.

SLIM, which was tasked with testing Japan's pinpoint landing technology and collecting geological data and images, was not designed to survive lunar nights.

JAXA said on the social media platform X that SLIM's key functions are still working despite repeated harsh cycles of temperature changes. The agency said it plans to closely monitor the lander's deterioration.

Scientists are hoping to find clues about the origin of the moon by the comparing mineral compositions of moon rocks and those of Earth.

The message from SLIM came days after NASA restored contact with Voyager 1, the farthest space probe from earth, which had been sending garbled data back to earth for months.

An U.S. lunar probe developed by a private space company announced termination of its operation a month after its February landing, while an Indian moon lander failed to establish communication after touchdown in 2023.

Japan's Moon Lander defies expectations, thriving after 3 weeks in Lunar darknes

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the lunar probe responded to a signal from the earth Tuesday night, confirming it has survived another weekslong lunar night.

www.livemint.com