The SLIM robot, with which Japan tries again to make its debut upon reaching the surface of the Moonentered this Monday in the orbit of the Earth’s natural satelliteannounced the country’s space agency.
According to the Jaxa space agency, the SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) entered lunar orbit at 16:51 in Tokyo (07:51 in Lisbon).
The descent and landing of the robot are scheduled for January 19 and, if successful, will make Japan the Fifth country to land a spacecraft on the Moon.after the United States, Russia, China and India.
The rocket carrying the robot took off in September from the Japanese Tanegashima space base after two cancellations.
japan Previously two failed attempts to launch a spacecraft, the first in November 2022 and the second in April 2023, the latter is managed by a private company.
According to the Kyodo news agency, a Japanese astronaut could set foot on lunar soil for the first time as part of the new North American Artemis program, with which the United States intends to return to the surface of the Moon starting in 2025.
Only American astronauts, all men, were on the surface of the Moon between 1969 and 1972.
The United States aims to graduate the first female astronaut and the first black astronaut in 2025.
Before, in November 2024, they plan to place the first female astronaut, the first black astronaut, both North Americans, and the first Canadian astronaut in orbit around the Moon.
Source: TSF
