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December 25th, 2023
Image credit: JAXA/ISAS
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced the arrival at the Moon of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM).
JAXA said the spacecraft was successfully inserted into lunar orbit at 16:51 (Japan Standard Time, JST) on December 25, 2023.
The lunar orbit of SLIM will be inserted into an elliptical lunar orbit connecting the Moon’s north and south poles with a period of approximately 6.4 hours, and altitude of about 372 miles (600 kilometers) at the closest point to the Moon (perilune), and 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers) at the furthest point from the Moon (apolune).
Image credit: JAXA
“The orbit change proceeded as planned, and the spacecraft is currently in a normal condition,” JAXA stated.
What next?
From now until mid-January 2024, the apolune point will be lowered, and the orbit adjusted to a circular orbit at an altitude of approximately 373 miles (600 kilometers).
The perilune point will then lower and preparations for landing will begin.
On January 19, the perilune point will be lowered to an altitude of roughly 9 miles (15 kilometers).
The descent towards the Moon will start at around 0:00am (JST) on January 20, with landing on the lunar surface slated for around 0:20am (JST) on January 20.
Image credit: JAXA/ISAS
Pinpoint landing
The SLIM project aims to demonstrate pinpoint landing and obstacle detection techniques for touching down on the Moon.
SLIM researchers are eager to convert conventional exploration of “descending where it is easy to land’” to “descending where you want to land.”
The SLIM team has selected a target touchdown site neighboring the Shioli crater near the “Sea of Nectar.” The area has a relatively constant slope of 15 degrees or less, according to a SLIM press kit. “Therefore, the method of landing safely on such a slope becomes important.”
Image credit: JAXA/TOMY Company/Sony Group Corporation/Doshisha University
Palm-sized rover
Moon explorer Mark Robinson at Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration notes that Shioli crater formed a little over 7 miles away from the rim of the 62-mile diameter Theophilus crater on ejecta emplaced during the Theophilus-forming impact.
SLIM is to deploy a palm-sized Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2) jointly developed with toy manufacturer, Takara Tomy, along with the Sony Group Corporation and Doshisha University.
SLIM imagery of the Moon.
Image credit: JAXA/ISAS
SLIM imagery of the Moon.
Image credit: JAXA/ISAS
Video of Moon via SLIM at:
月周回軌道投入中およびその前後に航法カメラを使用して撮影した画像をつなぎ合わせてパラパラ漫画にしました。SLIMが確かに月面上空で動いていることがわかります。#SLIM #JAXA #たのしむーん pic.twitter.com/nT480PbKCy
— 小型月着陸実証機SLIM (@SLIM_JAXA) December 25, 2023
For more information, go to:
https://www.leonarddavid.com/japans-slim-landing-on-the-moon-smartly/
https://www.leonarddavid.com/landing-slim-and-smartly-on-the-moon/
Posted in Space News
