The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), a lunar lander developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and nicknamed the “moon sniper” for its experimental precision landing technology, has successfully touched down on the Moon.
With this achievement, Japan becomes the fifth country to successfully land on the Moon and the first to do so with high precision, landing within an accuracy of less than 100 meters.
Measuring 2.4 meters in height, the unmanned spacecraft SLIM aims to demonstrate precise lunar landing techniques with an accuracy of up to 100 meters. Typically, the landing zone spans an area of 10 kilometers.
The data collected by SLIM will also contribute to NASA’s Artemis project, which aims to send astronauts to the Moon’s surface and establish a base there.
Onboard the spacecraft are two small autonomous lunar rovers that will be deployed just before landing.
JAXA launched the H-IIA rocket carrying the SLIM lander on September 7 of the previous year, after three delays due to adverse weather conditions. On December 25, it entered lunar orbit, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.