The fate of this mini-exploratory probe depends on that of its SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) transporter, a small machine that the Japanese space research agency Jaxa plans to land with high precision shortly after midnight Japan time on Saturday (10 a.m. Friday). (Photo: 123RF)
The Japanese space module scheduled to land on the moon on Friday carries an unusual instrument: a spherical robot reminiscent of a Star Wars droid that unfolds like a transformable toy and moves a little like a sea turtle.
The fate of this mini-exploratory probe depends on that of its SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) transporter, a small machine that the Japanese space research agency Jaxa plans to land with high precision shortly after midnight Japan time on Saturday (10 a.m. Friday).
A success of this mission, dubbed “Moon Sniper” by Jaxa, would be historic for Japan, as it would be the fifth country to land on the moon after the USA, the USSR, China and India.
SORA-Q, SLIM's research probe, is barely larger than a tennis ball and weighs just 250 grams. It was developed jointly by Jaxa and Takara Tomy, a major Japanese toy manufacturer behind the famous Transformers robots released in 1984 market came. The Japanese electronics giant Sony and the private Japanese university Doshisha in Kyoto (West) also contributed to its development.
SORA-Q has two cameras, one that is revealed at the front when the metal casing opens into two parts, and a second at the back.
Once the ball is opened, its two ends serve as wheels to rock on an uneven surface.
“This convertible, ultra-compact and ultra-light mechanism was created with the technical know-how of toy development,” says the official SORA-Q website.
The probe has two movement modes: “butterfly,” in which its two wheels roll together, and “creep,” in which they move forward out of sync.
“Sora” means “universe” in Japanese, while the letter Q refers to the words “question” and “search,” the probe’s designers explain.
Its cameras should transmit valuable images of Shioli, the small crater where SLIM is scheduled to land and which exposes rocks from the moon's still poorly understood internal structure.
And for its fans on Earth, there is a toy version of the probe on the market: it costs more than 21,000 yen (130 euros) and, according to a promotional video, can roll and take photos from the ground, for example of cats or babies.