Japan makes history by landing on the moon

However, the mission's lifetime will probably be much shorter than planned due to problems with the solar power generation

An artist's impression of the Japanese SLIM spacecraft approaching the moon landing. Credit: JAXA
An artist's impression of the Japanese SLIM spacecraft approaching the moon landing. Credit: JAXA

במהלך סופ"ש דרמטי, יפן הצליחה לנחות על פני הירח, כשנחתת החלל SLIM שלה השלימה נחיתה מוצלחת לאחר חצות ביום שבת. עם זאת, בעיה טכנית הקשורה ליכולת שימוש באנרגיה סולארית של SLIM הופכת את המשימה לבעלת סיכון לא מוגדר.

בהצלחתה, יפן הפכה למדינה החמישית שמנחיתה כלי חלל על הירח, אחרי ארה"ב, רוסיה, סין והודו. נציגי סוכנות החלל היפנית JAXA אמרו שיש להם סיבה טובה להניח שהנחיתה הייתה רכה ומדויקת, אך הם זקוקים ליותר זמן כדי לאשר האם המשימה השיגה את המטרה לנחות בתוך 100 מטרים מהיעד המתוכנן.

The landing was successful despite technical difficulties. JAXA representatives announced that the vehicle's solar panels do not generate electricity and the vehicle is powered by an internal battery, which will only last a few hours. A lack of electricity may limit the duration of the tool's activity, but they promise to achieve as much as possible with the available electricity. JAXA representatives clarified that the end of the energy in the battery does not mark the end of the mission.

The mission included, among other things, the analysis of the mineral olivine on the surface of the moon, which may reveal key information about the origin of the moon. Due to the energy issue, the mission will focus on sending data back to Earth to determine if the mission has been completed accurately.

The success of the moon landing provides much-needed support to Japan's space program, which has experienced several setbacks in recent years, including a failure to launch the H3 lead rocket in March 2023. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida praised JAXA's efforts and expressed support for the agency's future endeavors.

The mission, which focused on achieving a precise landing, inspired hope and appreciation among the younger generation in Japan, and encourages them to take on great challenges.

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