The Japanese Aerospace Agency (JAXA) announced that the Japanese space probe SLIM landed on the surface of the moon approximately 55 meters from the specified destination, which means the operation was carried out with unparalleled precision in terms of distances in space.
The agency originally planned to land the SLIM 100 meters from the destination. The probe transmitted data that has since been processed. During landing, when avoiding surface obstacles, experts estimated the landing accuracy to be less than 10 metres, or about three to four metres.
Given the Moon's location at the time, the probe's solar cells did not receive enough sunlight, so the agency considered it a priority to transmit the probe's landing data before the battery ran out. Incorrect orientation may be caused by a change in position due to a faulty motor. Research work can begin when sunlight hits SLIM from the west. The small robot separate from the probe also transmitted images of the inclined SLIM.
After the Soviet Union, the United States, China and India, Japan is the fifth country to succeed in landing a vehicle on the moon.
Photo: AFP/JAXA/Takara Tomy/Sony Group Corporation/Doshisha University
