Japan has landed Intelligent lander to explore the Moon, or SLIM, a ship on the lunar surface on January 20, 2024. Despite problems with powering the lander, this event has each political and technical significance. This is Japan’s first landing on the moon – making it only the fifth country in the world to successfully land on the moon. This is a big achievement and strengthens Japan’s position as a pacesetter in space technologies.
While crafts landed successfully on the lunar surface and launched its rovers, SLIM’s solar cells weren’t functioning properly – meaning the craft could probably only work for just a few hours.
I’m expert in international affairs who studies space. Like NASA and other space agencies, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)., goals to advance research and technology by presenting latest techniques and collecting scientific data. The landing is also a part of something larger – growing global interest in lunar activity.
Precise technology
Japan’s achievement is not only symbolic – Japan is demonstrating plenty of latest technologies in the lander. The name Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon refers to the spacecraft latest precision landing technology.
This technology could aid in future landings by allowing spacecraft to land in relatively small areas in rocky or rugged terrain reasonably than having to find large clearings. This capability will be particularly essential in the future as countries focus on very specific areas of interest at the lunar south pole.
The lander also carried two small rovers, each of which will exhibit latest technology for moving around the Moon.
Lunar Excursion Vehicle 1 it incorporates a camera in addition to scientific equipment and uses a jumping mechanism to maneuver on the Moon.
JAXA/ISAS
Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2, developed in a partnership between government, industry and academia, is a sphere sufficiently small to fit in the palm of your hand. Once it reaches the surface, its two halves separate barely, allowing it to roll around.
SLIM is designed for landing in a 328-foot (100-meter) zone.much smaller than previous lunar landers, whose landing zones stretched for a lot of kilometers.
SLIM used a vision navigation system who took photos of the lunar surface. The system quickly compared these images to crater patterns on lunar maps developed by JAXA using data from previous missions.
As countries discover areas which are most certainly to contain useful resources akin to water ice, precision landing technology will enable agencies to avoid nearby threats and reach these areas without incident.
International relations back on Earth
These activities have a geopolitical aspect. China, India and Japan – the three countries which have successfully landed on the Moon since 2000 – are involved in regional competition in many areas, including space. Beyond regional considerations, these achievements help establish nations as global leaders – able to something few nations have ever achieved.
The Japanese launch comes just six months after India landed on the moon and just just a few weeks later failed attempt by the American company Astrobotic.
Both Russia AND private company iSpace made unsuccessful landing attempts in 2023. Japan’s success in landing on the moon – even with solar panel problems that shortened the mission schedule – shows that JAXA is a significant player in this global endeavor.
Despite recent setbacks akin to NASA broadcasts delays until the next Artemis mission, the United States continues to be the clear leader in space and lunar exploration. NASA has many spacecraft orbiting the moon now and it has already launched successfully SSL Rocketthat is able to taking humans back to the Moon.
NASA develops very large and sophisticated systems internally – akin to Gateway space station, planned for orbit near the Moon, and infrastructure for the human Artemis mission to the Moon. It is not unusual for such large and sophisticated projects to experience some delays.
NASA has recently turned over many smaller-scale efforts to industrial entities – akin to: Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program who supported the Astrobotic trial. This is a brand new approach that involves some risk, but offers a possibility for industrial innovation and development lunar economy while giving NASA the opportunity to focus on large, complex points of the mission.
On the Moon, JAXA has partnered with the United States to undertake a vital element of the Artemis mission – developing pressurized lunar rover. This is a brand new and sophisticated technology that will be crucial for manned missions to the Moon in the coming years.