Japan's Robotic SLIM Lander Sends Its First Images of the Moon

Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has recently shared its initial images of the lunar surface after successfully entering the moon's orbit on Christmas Day.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) publicly revealed these monochrome, highly detailed images via its X feed.

"SLIM successfully completed main engine injection at 16:51 and successfully entered lunar orbit! Below is an image sent from SLIM near the moon," JAXA said in a translated X post.

The Moon Sniper

SLIM, also known as the "Moon Sniper" due to its remarkable precision in landing within 100 meters of a predetermined target, is poised to achieve Japan's first successful moon landing in the coming month.

JAXA officially confirmed SLIM's entry into the moon's orbit at 4:51 p.m. Japan time, following the planned trajectory shift, with no reported irregularities in the probe's conditions.

The elliptical lunar orbit, connecting the moon's north and south poles, is set to host SLIM for approximately 6.4 hours. This period will see SLIM at altitudes ranging from about 600km at the closest point (perilune) to 4,000km at the furthest point (apolune).

From the present moment until mid-January 2024, adjustments will continue to transition SLIM to a circular orbit at an altitude of roughly 600km. Mid-January will witness a lowering of the perilune point, marking the initiation of preparations for the upcoming lunar landing.

Anticipated for January 19, the perilune point is expected to reach an altitude of 15km, initiating the descent toward the moon around 12 a.m. (JST) on January 20. The actual lunar landing is scheduled for around 12:20 a.m. (JST) on the same day.

SLIM's Scientific Mission

Developed as a compact lunar exploration module, SLIM is meticulously designed to fulfill a triad of objectives. Firstly, it aspires to achieve unparalleled precision in moon landings, ensuring meticulous navigation and touchdown on the lunar surface.

Secondly, SLIM aims to revolutionize lunar exploration by substantially diminishing both the dimensions and weight of the equipment utilized in lunar missions. This reduction in size and weight holds the promise of greater efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability for future space endeavors.

In addition to these engineering feats, SLIM embarks on a scientific journey to delve into the moon's origins. The mission aims to unravel mysteries surrounding the moon's formation and evolution by scrutinizing the lunar surface and composition.

"The SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon) project is a mission for researching the pinpoint landing technology necessary for future lunar probes and verifying this on the surface of the moon with a small scale probe," JAXA said in a statement.

"By creating the SLIM lander humans will make a qualitative shift towards being able to land where we want and not just where it is easy to land, as had been the case before. By achieving this, it will become possible to land on planets even more resource scarce than the moon," it added.