SLIM Mission - Japan Finally Makes it to the Moon's Surface
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25-01-2024 6:22pm#1
After a number of previous attempts and failures, Japan yesterday became the fifth nation to successfully soft land a spacecraft on the lunar surface.
The SLIM mission successfully touched down nose-on to the surface after a rocket glitch that led to a loss of communication with the spacecraft. Mission control in Japan received telemetry from the probe on the Moon's surface and the first images have been returned. It appears to be resting on a crater wall slope and its awkward orientation means that its solar panels are unable to charge the batteries until the sun lighting orientation improves.
Below is the first surface image from the LEV lunar mini-rover that detached from the main SLIM craft just before touchdown.
Well done, Japan!
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The IM-1 mission has certainly been a partial success - the first private moon landing and also the first US moon landing in over 50 years.
It did also manage to take some images of its landing site on the lunar surface, near the south pole, but the craft was damaged upon landing and broke a landing gear.
Post edited by JupiterKid on0 -
