#LunarProbe

[snap-blogz]

Japan's historic Lunar Landing Achieved with a Slight Hiccup

Japan reached new heights in space exploration with the "Moon Sniper," marking a historic lunar landing. Despite a slight hiccup, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim) probe, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), successfully touched down using pinpoint technology.

Precise Landing on Lunar Landscape

 The spacecraft, equipped with pinpoint technology, achieved a remarkable landing on the slope of a crater just south of the lunar equator. This high-precision technology, previously employed in landing probes on asteroids, ensured a landing within 100 meters of the target spot.

Challenges Faced During Touchdown

 While the initial touchdown seemed flawless, a press conference revealed a challenge. The Moon Sniper was communicating with Earth but relying solely on its battery due to a solar generation issue. JAXA Chief Hitoshi Kuninaka clarified, "We believe the soft landing itself was successful." https://twitter.com/JAXA_en/status/1748345554655228118

Unveiling Lunar Secrets

Before the landing, the spacecraft captured captivating images of the Moon's surface. The landing site, chosen with precision, offers the potential for future exploration of hilly Moon poles, seen as vital sources of oxygen, fuel, and water.

Mini-Probes Unleashed

In addition to the Moon Sniper, Slim deployed two mini-probes - a hopping vehicle and a wheeled rover - developed in collaboration with tech giant Sony Group, toymaker Tomy, and Japanese universities. These robotic companions aim to provide additional insights and perspectives on the lunar landscape.

Japan's Space Aspirations

This achievement follows Japan's previous setbacks in lunar missions and rocket failures. The nation, aiming to play a prominent role in space exploration, collaborates with allies and plans to send an astronaut to the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program.

Global Collaborations and Future Explorations

Looking ahead, Japan eyes a joint unmanned lunar polar exploration with India in 2025. This aligns with the broader international landscape, where nations like India have also made significant strides in lunar exploration. In the words of JAXA Chief Hitoshi Kuninaka, "We believe the soft landing itself was successful as the spacecraft sent telemetry data, meaning most equipment on board was operating." Japan's journey to the Moon not only represents a triumph in space exploration but also signifies the nation's resilience in overcoming challenges on its path to the stars. Read the full article

[fatmancomics]

The saying goes that necessity is the mother of invention but competition can help it along as well. Many of the advances of The Transistor Age were brought about by The Cold War. The Soviet Union’s LUN series of space probe robots were a result of the space race against the United States. LUN1 was supposed to land on the moon and collect samples but it lost its legs when it separated from its rocket. Not wanting to admit any type of failure, the Soviets opted for having LUN1 orbit around the moon instead and told the world the arms were meant for use during the robot’s separation process. That would have been a good enough explanation were it not for the fact that one of the hands had a scoop along with the robot having a storage compartment. For March of Robots 2020 Day 29: Space. #marchofrobots #marchofrobots2020 #marchofrobots2020day29 #space #robot #robotsofinstagram #luna1 #lunarprobe #moon #spacerace #copics #copicmarkers #copicpens #copicinks #inks #nopencil #coldwar https://www.instagram.com/p/B-WNE-PBFL8/?igshid=1hkz513r32ibx

[bmetz]

Never did Space Camp as a kid, but get to do it when I’m 35. Thanks, #Caterpillar and #NASA! #Huntsville #SpaceCampForGrownUps #Science #Tang #LunarProbe (at U.S. Space & Rocket Center)

[arunsenapathyr]

Jan 24, 1990 Japan launches its first lunar probe. Hiten was the first robotic lunar probe since the Soviet Luna 24 in 1976 and the first deep space probe that executed an aerobraking maneuver. #DidYouKnow #History #LunarProbe