Japan counts down to ‘Moon Sniper’ landing

Al Jazeera  :
Japan is attempting to land its high-precision “Moon Sniper” probe on the lunar surface and will become only the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon – if all goes according to plan.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is hoping 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, particularly in the quest for lunar water and the potential for human habitation.
Nicknamed the Moon Sniper, SLIM will start a 20-minute touchdown phase on its one-way mission from midnight on Saturday (15:00 GMT Friday), trying to land on a target site roughly the size of two athletic tracks on the slope of a crater just south of the lunar equator.
“No other nation has achieved this. Proving Japan has this technology would bring us a huge advantage in upcoming international missions like Artemis,” said Shinichiro Sakai, JAXA’s SLIM project manager, referring to US space agency NASA’s crewed moon mission.
Japan moon
The transformable lunar surface robot SORA-Q which is on the Moon Sniper spacecraft [Handout /AFP]
Japan has been actively looking to expand its role in space activities, forging partnerships with the United States, to address the growing military and technological influence of China, extending even into the realm of space.
Only four nations have successfully landed on the moon – India, China, the US and Russia.
Japan is actively participating in NASA’s Artemis programme with the goal of sending one of its astronauts to the moon.
However, JAXA has faced multiple setbacks, including a launch failure in March of the new flagship rocket H3 that was meant to match cost-competitiveness against commercial rocket providers like SpaceX.
In August, India’s Chandrayaan-3 made an historic touchdown on the moon’s south pole, a major technological feat given the rough terrain, highlighting the country’s rise as a major player in space.
JAXA has emphasised that its high-precision technology will become a powerful tool in future exploration of hilly moon poles, seen as a potential source of oxygen, fuel and water. Japan also plans a joint unmanned lunar polar exploration with India in 2025.