JAPAN’S SLIM MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Science & Tech)

Context: Japan’s Moon-lander mission, called SLIM, was recently launched. A successful landing on the Moon by the SLIM spacecraft would make Japan only the fifth country in the world to do so.

Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) Mission

• Launched by: Japan by its H-IIA rocket that took the SLIM in space and also carried an X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), a satellite meant for astronomical observations.

oThis is the first Moon-landing attempt being made by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). 

• Unique route: It is taking a uniquely long route to the Moon and is scheduled to make a landing in four to six months. If successful, SLIM would be the smallest and lightest spacecraft to land on the Moon.
• Technicality: SLIM is a pretty small spacecraft, weighing just about 200 kg.
• Objective: The main objective of SLIM is to demonstrate precision landing, within 100 metres of the chosen site.