Japan's 'Moon Sniper' Lander Enters Lunar Orbit
Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), nicknamed the 'Moon Sniper,' successfully entered lunar orbit at 4.51 p.m. local time on Monday ahead of a landing planned for next month....
Facts
- Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), nicknamed the 'Moon Sniper,' successfully entered lunar orbit at 4.51 p.m. local time on Monday ahead of a landing planned for next month.1
- The Moon Sniper's elliptical orbit comes within 373 miles (600 km) of the moon's surface at its closest and reaches a distance of 2485 miles (4000 km) from the body at its farthest.2
- The SLIM will attempt its soft touchdown at 12:20 a.m. on Jan. 20 in an area that spans 328 feet (100 M), much narrower than the typical kilometer range.3
- It is set to land near the Shioli crater, located close to the Apollo 11 landing site where astronauts first landed in 1969, and is anticipated to be precisely executed.3
- The Moon Sniper weighs about 200 kg (440 lbs), significantly less than India's roughly 1750 kg (3858 lbs) Chandrayaan-3 lander, which touched down on the moon earlier this year.4
- This is the country's third attempt to reach the lunar surface. If successful, it would make Japan the fifth nation to land a vehicle on the moon, after the US, Russia (as the USSR), China, and India.5
Sources: 1RTE.ie, 2Space.com, 3CNN, 4The Indian Express and 5reuters.com.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Wall Street Journal. Contenders in the new space race, such as India and China, and their successful space endeavors have renewed interest in moon exploration. The new locus of exploration, the lunar south pole, could be home to water that could make permanent settlement possible. We are on the cusp of an exciting new era of space exploration.
- Narrative B, as provided by Global News. It's hard to claim that the new space race will be based on scientific progress and cooperation, as minerals worth trillions of dollars are waiting to be claimed on the moon. An increase in the number of countries and private companies seeking to land on the moon for resource exploration could open the door to never-before-seen conflict. Let's encourage progress, but ensure countries are in it for the right reasons.
