Japan created history by making pinpoint landing on the Moon.
However, the official confirmation will be made in the press conference to be held soon. If this landing is successful, Japan will become the fifth country to land on the Moon after America, Soviet Union, China and India.
On August 23 last year, India’s third moon mission Chandrayaan-3 created history by landing on the south pole of the moon. India became the fourth country in the world to reach the Moon, while it was the first country to land on the South Pole.
Japan’s space agency said its unmanned spacecraft is on the moon but is still checking its position. More details will be given in a press conference soon.
Smart Lander (SLIM) to investigate the Moon landed on the surface of the Moon at around 12:20 pm Tokyo time.
The Smart Lander for Moon Probes, or SLIM, is a lightweight spacecraft about the size of a passenger vehicle. It is using pinpoint landing technology.
This technology promises far better control than previous moon landings.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) attempted to land a lander, called Moon Sniper, within 100 meters of the target.
The H-IIA rocket was launched from the southern island of Tanegashima in September, with the aim of achieving a successful pinpoint touchdown.
As Japan’s spacecraft touched down on the moon, mission control at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said everything was going according to plan and later said SLIM was on the lunar surface.
But there is no mention of whether the landing was successful or not. In such a situation, it is not yet clear whether this landing has been successful or not.
If Japan’s landing is successful, the spacecraft will look for clues about the moon’s origins, including analyzing minerals with a special camera. Equipped with pads to cushion impact, SLIM was intended to land near the Shioli Crater, an area covered with volcanic rock.
During the landing, Mission Control reiterated that it was checking the condition of the craft and that more information would be provided at a news conference.
Information regarding when the press conference will be held is not yet available. SLIM began its landing at midnight Saturday and within 15 minutes it was about 10 km (six miles) above the lunar surface, according to the space agency, known as JAXA.
“At an altitude of five kilometers (three miles), the lander was in vertical descent mode, then at 50 meters (165 feet) above the surface, SLIM had to make a parallel motion to find a safe landing location,” JAXA said.
About half an hour after the expected landing, JAXA said it was still checking the condition of the lander.