• UGI USER
  • Jan 22, 2024
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JAPAN’S MOON LANDING: A PRECISION MISSION

Why in the News?

  • Japan entered the elite league on Saturday by becoming the fifth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon.
  • The mission, conducted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aimed to demonstrate “precision” landing technology.

About the Landing :

  • JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) faced challenges as its solar panels, crucial for power generation, were unable to function effectively due to incorrect angles.
Source: France 24
About SLIM

·    SLIM is launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is a lunar lander mission.

·    It weighs (590 kg at launch) significantly less than previous lunar missions, including India’s Chandrayaan-3 impacting its trajectory, less fuel, and time to reach the moon.

·    Spacecraft will deploy two rovers ,LEV-1 and LEV-2 for studying Lunar Surface.

·    Unlike Chandrayaan-3’s quick journey, SLIM followed a more fuel-thrifty route, taking four months to reach the moon via a longer path.