Japan is set to become the fifth country ever to land a spacecraft on the moon with the launch of the high-precision “Moon Sniper” probe. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is aiming for a precise landing of its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) probe, within 100 metres (328 feet) of the designated target, a technology it calls unprecedented and crucial for advancing lunar exploration.
Nicknamed the Moon Sniper, SLIM will begin its 20-minute touchdown phase on a one-way mission from midnight on Saturday. If successful, Japan will join the ranks of India, China, the US, and Russia as the only nations to successfully land on the moon. The mission aims to contribute to humanity’s understanding of the moon, and its potential for human habitation.
Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis program and its partnerships with the United States are part of the country’s efforts to expand its role in space activities. JAXA has been actively focusing on expanding its presence in the space industry and has plans to participate in a joint unmanned lunar polar exploration with India in 2025.
The Moon Sniper also carries a unique robotic probe named SORA-Q, co-developed by JAXA and Takara Tomy, the toy company behind the original Transformers. Slightly bigger than a tennis ball, SORA-Q is designed to navigate the lunar surface, capturing valuable images of a crater where parts of the moon’s mantle are believed to be exposed.
JAXA will take up to a month to verify whether SLIM has achieved its high-precision goals after touchdown. If successful, the mission will demonstrate Japan’s advanced technology in lunar exploration, giving the country an advantage in upcoming international missions like NASA’s Artemis.