SLIM Moon Mission:
Japan’s space agency, JAXA, has concluded operations of its Moon lander, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), also known as the “Moon Sniper,” after losing communication with it.
- This operation was halted after the failure of multiple attempts to establish connection with the SLIM spacecraft.
- SLIM is a small-scale lunar lander designed for precise landings, reduced equipment size and weight, and investigating the Moon’s origins.
- It was an uncrewed spacecraft that also aimed to test low-gravity exploration technology essential for future solar system exploration.
- It is nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” because of its ability to land very precisely on the Moon’s surface.
- It made a soft landing on the Moon in January 2024, making Japan the 5th nation to achieve this feat.
- Other countries that have successfully achieved a soft lunar landing are India, Russia, the United States, and China.
- ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 Mission successfully soft-landed a lander on the moon, in the natural satellite’s south pole region.
