Fifth Country Landing on the Moon

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that an unmanned space probe made in Japan made a touchdown on the moon. It made Japan the fifth country which was successful in landing the moon, following Russia, United States, China and India. While notifying some malfunction of some devices, JAXA stressed the significance of pinpoint landing its team achieved. News media congratulated advanced space technology of Japan.

The investigation probe, named Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) was launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture last September. While SLIM was flying at fifteen kilometers of altitude, it gradually reduced the cruising speed and successfully landed softly on the surface of the moon before dawn of January 20 in Japan time. The probe keeps on sending data from the moon to the control center on the earth.

 

JAXA announced that SLIM was successful in “pinpoint landing,” a precise touchdown within one hundred meters from the target. The target was set at Mare Nectaris located at the south of the equator of the moon. While the probes of other countries have precision of tens of kilometers, SLIM could land at the point only fifty-five meters away from the target. JAXA calls it a full success.

 

While it was successful in releasing small robots for researching the moon surface, SLIM had some troubles at the landing. One of the two main engines was lost at the 50 meters of altitude before landing, causing unexpected falling down of SLIM to the ground after the landing. JAXA realized that SLIM has not been able to generate electric power, due to the malfunction of solar panels.

 

Japan’s join to the countries sending a probe to the moon may accelerate the competition of developing the moon. It has been found that the Antarctic of the moon has water in the shape of ice. Some kinds of metal have also found. The treaty on use of outer space prohibits any country occupying territory and installing any military facility on the moon. As competition over the natural resources on the moon becomes obvious, there will be a discussion for regulation on development of the moon.

 

United States has Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. China, with cooperation with Russia, has a plan for building an international lunar research station. Not only those major powers, North Korea has been promoting its program of launching “satellite.” Japan needs to be careful not to accelerate too much the international competition over the development of outer space.

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