The 5th Country Globally! Japan Successfully Lands on the Moon
After two failed attempts, Japan successfully landed a spacecraft on the surface of the moon on the early morning of January 20, local time. With this achievement, Japan became the fifth country to complete a “soft landing” on the moon, following the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, and India.
Japan first attempted to launch a probe mission to the moon in 2022, but it ended in failure. The second attempt was in July of last year (2023), but it also ended in failure due to the explosion of a new rocket after launch. This time, the mission was undertaken by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with an unmanned probe called “SLIM” (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon), also known as the “Moon Sniper.” “SLIM” was launched on September 7 last year and landed on the moon’s orbit on the early morning of January 20, local time. After landing, it successfully established a connection and communication with the ground, making Japan the fifth country in the world to successfully land on the moon.
However, the downside is that while the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced the successful landing on the moon, it also announced that the solar cells failed to generate electricity and could only rely on the probe’s built-in battery to last for several hours. Therefore, the mission will prioritize obtaining lunar surface data as the main focus of subsequent analysis and research plans. Officials said that as long as the solar panel can be exposed to sunlight in the future, the solar cell may be able to recover its function.
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