JAXA Confirms Successful Lunar Landing: Japan’s Moon Mission Achieves Historic Milestone as Fifth Country to Land on the Moon

Japan’s space agency, JAXA, led by Hiroshi Yamakawa, confirmed the successful soft landing on the moon by the Sniper mission on Friday night (January 19, according to Indian time). Agency officer Hitoshi Kuniyinaka mentioned that communication with the control room had been established, though the solar generator of the lander was not functioning correctly, and the mission relies entirely on its battery.

Japan has now become the fifth country globally, after Russia, China, the United States, and India, to successfully land a lunar mission. Sniper reached the lunar orbit on December 25 and has been gradually descending towards the lunar surface since then, utilizing advanced technology for landing.

Sniper to Unveil Secrets of the Moon

According to CNN, Japan’s Moon mission Sniper aims to explore the Shio-ri Crater on the lunar surface, located in the Sea of Tranquility. This crater is part of the C-Sector of the Moon. Scientists believe that there was once a volcanic eruption on the Moon, and Sniper will investigate how the Moon was formed based on the analysis of this region.

The mission, which is reported to cost approximately 102 million dollars, will provide valuable information about the composition and internal structure of the Moon through the examination of minerals in the area.

Benefits of Pinpoint Landing on the Moon

According to ‘Space.com,’ the primary advantage of pinpoint landing is the ability to focus exploration efforts on specific areas of interest. This approach allows for precise design and movement of the lander and post-landing rover. The goal is to gather accurate information about the presence of water and other substances in the targeted region.

If the slim, successful landing occurs, the lander’s target area will have a radius of 100 meters. The lander, weighing 200 kilograms with dimensions of 2.4 meters in length and 2.7 meters in height, features advanced radar, laser range finder, and vision-based navigation systems to aid in accurate landing.

Equipped with cameras that provide clear images of the lunar surface, the mission includes the Lunar Exploration Vehicle and Lunar Robot, named ORA-Q, which is small enough to be held in hand.