The small probe has, among other things, a telescope on board and aims to research the origins of the universe.
Japan sent a small probe to the moon. An H2A carrier rocket successfully lifted off from Tanegashima spaceport on Thursday morning (local time) in clear weather. In addition to the SLIM lunar module, there was also an X-ray telescope called XRISM on board, which is intended to research the origins of the universe.
The rocket launch had already been postponed several times due to bad weather conditions. If Japan succeeds with SLIM, the high-tech nation would be the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, after the former Soviet Union, the US, China and India.
To India and a Russian attempt
Just a few days ago, India managed to do this after a Russian space probe crashed on the Moon. The lunar module developed by the Japanese space agency Jaxa aims to test technologies for future precision landings on the lunar surface. SLIM is expected to enter lunar orbit approximately three to four months after launch and attempt to reach Earth’s satellite surface in four to six months.
Data collected by Japan on the Moon will be used as part of the US-led Artemis project. The goal of this project is to return people to the Moon by 2025 and advance research on Earth’s satellite. The broader goal is human exploration of Mars.
Collaboration with NASA and ESA
Japan is also working with the US space agency NASA and the European Space Agency ESA on XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission). XRISM was designed to make observations of the hot gas plasma wind that blows through the universe’s galaxies. This is expected to provide information about the composition and development of celestial objects, it was said.
It was the first launch of a larger launch vehicle developed in Japan since the failed launch of a next-generation H3 rocket in March this year. The successor to the reliable H2 launch vehicle was the first development of a large launch vehicle in Japan in about 30 years. Japan wants to firmly establish itself in the lucrative and increasingly competitive global satellite launch business. The H3 rocket program is also seen as important for Japan’s participation in space development, including the US-led Artemis program. (APA)