In an era of groundbreaking space missions, Japan’s Moon sniper, also known as the SLIM probe, is gearing up for a historic lunar landing. Scheduled for Friday, January 19, this mission is poised to be a pivotal moment for Japan, making it the third country to successfully achieve a lunar landing in the 21st century.
The SLIM probe, short for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, entered lunar orbit late last month, marking the beginning of its ambitious mission. Unlike previous lunar landers, SLIM aims to touch down within 100 meters of a specific target on the moon’s surface, a feat that has proven challenging due to the Moon’s limited atmosphere and the technical constraints of smaller probes.
Launched in September, the Moon sniper’s landing attempt is set for around 10:00 a.m. EST. The mission, if successful, will not only mark Japan’s inaugural lunar landing but also demonstrate the capability to achieve precision landings with low-cost and lightweight spacecraft.
To celebrate this historic event, the entire landing sequence will be streamed on YouTube in both Japanese and English, allowing viewers worldwide to witness this significant achievement in space exploration. Despite the excitement, the SLIM mission team anticipates a nerve-wracking 20 minutes of suspense as they await the outcome of the landing.
While previous lunar missions, such as NASA’s Apollo program, achieved remarkable precision, they were accompanied by substantial costs and technical complexities. The SLIM probe aims to push the boundaries of how small and cost-effective spacecraft can achieve precision landings.
In the event that the Moon sniper misses the initial landing window on January 19, a second attempt is scheduled for February 16, underscoring the determination and commitment of the mission team to achieve this historic feat.
