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Finally, Japan was able to launch its lunar probe, which is already on its way to its destination on Earth’s natural satellite.
After three launch delays due to unfavorable weather conditions, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency successfully launched the Smart Lunar Exploration Landing Vehicle (SLIM).
A $100 million lunar probe that will land on the Moon in February 2024
After having to delay launches three times in a row, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has finally managed to successfully send the SLIM probe to the moon.
This probe, which represents an investment of $100 million (about 93 million euros), is expected to reach the lunar surface in February 2024, after making a long journey, supported by low fuel consumption.
At a press conference, Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, stated, “The main goal of SLIM is to demonstrate high-precision landing operations in order to land wherever we want on the lunar surface instead of landing where we can.”
Recent contact with the Japanese probe indicates that it is continuing its journey, as planned, and without any incidents being reported.
And if it succeeds, Japan will be the fifth space power to reach the moon. SLIM is planned to land near Mare Nectaris, the lunar sea that appears as a black dot when viewed from Earth, and whose main mission is to test advanced technology for image processing and optics.
It was followed by the XRISM satellite on the same ship as SLIM
The Japanese probe will also analyze the composition of the rocks at this site to search for more clues about the origin of the moon.
But the SLIM probe was not alone in this launch. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency made use of the spacecraft to send the XRISM Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) satellite into space, a project it developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency and NASA.
The mission of this satellite will be to monitor the plasma winds in the universe so that researchers can discover more about the evolution of stars and galaxies.
However, the XRISM satellite has already sent signals back to Earth, confirming that the equipment’s solar panels have been successfully deployed.
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