Japanese space agency JAXA to launch its own lunar mission SLIM

Utkarsh Classes

Updated: 22 Aug 2023

1 Min Read

Japanese space agency JAXA to launch its own lunar mission SLIM

The Japanese space agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced its own moon mission on 22 August 2023. According to JAXA it will launch Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) also called Moon sniper on 26th August 2023. The Japanese space agency announcement on 22 August 2023 comes when the Indian Chandrayaan 3 mission is preparing for a soft landing on the surface of the moon on 23 August 2023.

Japan is the third country in recent months which has announced its lunar programme after the Indian Chandrayaan -3 mission and the Russian Luna 25 mission which ,unfortunately failed.

The launch of SLIM is scheduled as a shared payload with the XRISM mission ,using an H2A booster from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan

The main aim of the mission is to demonstrate accurate lunar landing techniques, which will help make more challenging landing areas more accessible.

The SLIM spacecraft is equipped with a landing radar for its descent onto the lunar surface and will use image-matching navigation and obstacle detection. The mission will be targeting a landing within Shioli Crater.