“Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) Successfully Lands on Lunar Surface Despite Power Issue” was originally published on The Conversation and contributed to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Mariel Borowitz, an Associate Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, provides insights into Japan’s achievement in this exciting global space race.
Despite a power issue, Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) successfully landed on the lunar surface on January 20, 2024, marking Japan’s first lunar landing and making it only the fifth country to achieve this feat. This solidifies Japan’s position as a leader in space technology and holds political and technical significance.
The Smart Lander demonstrated new precision-landing technology, using a vision-based navigation system for precision landing in small, rocky areas of interest at the lunar south pole. The craft also deployed two small rovers, each demonstrating new technologies for maneuvering on the moon.
Japan’s achievement showcases the country’s leadership in the global space race, alongside other nations such as China and India that have also successfully landed on the moon. This competition in space exploration contributes to regional and global geopolitics.
Despite recent setbacks, such as NASA’s announced delays to its next Artemis mission, the U.S. remains a leader in space and lunar exploration. NASA has successful spacecraft orbiting the moon and is developing large systems for human missions to the moon, such as the Gateway space station.
Overall, Japan’s successful landing on the moon highlights the country’s significant progress and active participation in the global space race, while also reflecting the ongoing advancements in lunar exploration.
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