Category Archives: Japan

Tuesday / 30 Jan 2024

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SLIM Awakens, Resumes Mission to Characterize Lunar Surface

The motorcycle-sized SLIM lunar lander is collecting solar energy and conducting spectral analysis of regolith near 13.3160° S, 25.2510° E landing site after 10 days of uncertainty following off-nominal descent caused by loss of 1 (of 2) 500 N main engine resulting in a flipped landing orientation requiring westward sun; Despite this adversity, SLIM did achieve 1.4 m/s soft-landing within ~55 m of precision targeted site and is set to continue collecting data until end of lunar day, ~31 Jan UTC (began ~16 Jan) within 10 spectral bands via Multiband Spectroscopic Camera (MBC); Landscape image (L) generated by completing 257 low-res images reveals first light including protuberance dubbed ‘toy poodle’

Credits: JAXA, Ritsumeikan University, University of Aizu

Tuesday / 23 Jan 2024

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Japan Celebrates Becoming 5th Nation to Soft Land on Moon as Efforts to Extend Surface Operations Continue

JAXA has met its minimum success criteria for SLIM mission by landing softly on the lunar surface, however operations were suspended when battery level reached 12% at 02:57, Jan 20 JST (17:57 on 19 Jan UTC) just hours after landing due to attitude anomaly which left solar panels oriented westward; Prior to battery disconnection, JAXA ‘obtained a lot of data‘ and hopes to receive more if lander can be reactivated as Sun moves west toward the end of the current lunar day (~30 Jan); While not designed for lunar night survivability, ‘if the spacecraft survives the -200°F night, then in two weeks’ time, it could revive again‘ per ISAS Director General Hitoshi Kuninaka

Credits: JAXA

Friday / 19 Jan 2024

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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Moon Mission Preparing for Final Landing Approach

JAXA Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) currently in elliptical 600 x 150 km lunar orbit following Perigee Descent Maneuver #1 (PDM1) which transferred craft from a 600 x 600 km circular orbit on 17 Jan 22:28 JST (13:28 UTC); Operators now preparing for PDM2, which is slated to bring orbit perilune even closer to the lunar surface (15 m) while maintaining 600 km apolune at ~22:40 JST (13:40 UTC) on 19 Jan; Mission success to be measured by 3 criteria: achieving soft landing (minimum), verification of <100 m landing accuracy (full) and continued operations until lunar nightfall (extra); Onboard Multiband Camera to investigate area around 13.2° S, 25.3° E landing site for mineral composition (specifically olivine) and LEV-1 /-2 rovers to explore & image lander; JAXA to livestream landing descent starting 20 Jan 00:00 JST (19 Jan 15:00 UTC)

Credits: JAXA

New Year / Holiday Edition
Fri-Tues/ 22 Dec 2023 – 2 Jan 2024

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Japan Lander Near Moon Orbit as USA CLPS Providers and CNSA Ready Early 2024 Lunar Launches

SLIM set to perform LOI maneuver 25 Dec ahead of 20 Jan 100-m precision landing attempt near Shioli crater as JAXA engages global public with enhanced project website and amateur radio band transmissions to / from onboard LEV rover; Astrobotic Peregrine, now integrated within payload fairing atop the first fully stacked ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket, has 4-day launch window opening 02:18 EST on 8 Jan and anticipated landing 23 Feb on Sinus Viscositatis; Intuitive Machines Nova-C now targeting mid-Feb launch on SpaceX F9 due to weather / launchpad congestion with landing near Malapert A crater in the MSP region after ~7 days transit; CNSA Queqiao-2 communications relay to launch NET March 2024 followed by Chang’E-6 farside sample return NET May 2024, continuing 10+ years of China lunar surface exploration

Credits: JAXA, Intuitive Machines, IM, Astrobotic

Tuesday / 12 Dec 2023

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ispace and Orbit Fab Partnering on Moon Fuel Extraction and Transport

While working towards HAKUTO-R mission 2 NET 2024 and design of APEX 1.0 with Draper for CLPS CP-12 NET 2026, ispace looking to foster long-term lunar commercial development, signing MoU with Orbit Fab of Lafayette CO on in-space propellant mining / transfer technology maturation with “a series of innovative demonstrations, including resource mapping and ISRU” to be performed; Orbit Fab hopes to grow market for its Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI) standard and is preparing to demonstrate 50-kg hydrazine refueling of USSF Tetra-5 utilizing Impulse Space depot Mira NET 2025

Credits: ispace, Orbit Fab

Thanksgiving Holiday Edition
Thurs-Mon / 23-27 Nov 2023

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A Robust International Moon Landing Schedule in First Half 2024

JAXA Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lander, Astrobotic Peregrine and Intuitive Machines Nova-C Odysseus are slated to land on near side of Moon NET Jan 2024: SLIM is currently in low-energy transfer targeting 100-m landing site near Shioli crater (13.3°S) mid-Jan, Peregrine awaiting ULA Vulcan Centaur launch from KSC NET 24 Dec with late Jan landing near Gruithuisen Domes (36.56°N), Nova-C working toward late Nov shipping from TX to FL for NET 12 Jan launch on SpaceX F9 to 5-7 day direct transfer for mid-Jan landing near Malapert-A (80.3°S); CNSA Chang’E-6 to launch on Long March 5 NET May 2024 to Apollo crater within far side SPA Basin (43.0°S)

Picutred: SLIM Project Manager Shinichiro Sakai, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton, IM CEO Stephen Altemus, CLEP Designer Sun Jiadong; Credits: JAXA, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, CNSA, Linkedin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 Oct 2023

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Asia Space Powers China, India, Japan and S Korea Lining Up to Conduct Human and Robotic Moon Landings

CNSA to launch Queqiao-2 communications relay to an elliptical lunar frozen orbit NET March 2024 in support of MSP & far side Chang’E missions and as precursor for Solar System-wide interplanetary constellation; Inaugural launch of 92-m tall Long March 10 rocket expected NET 2027 ahead of 2020s human landings; ISRO tasked with human Moon landings NLT 2040 as Chandrayaan-3 data being analyzed and LUPEX, a south pole lander / rover collaboration with JAXA, planned for NET 2025; JAXA SLIM on route to Moon carrying LEV-1/2 surface probes with Lunar Obit Injection slated for late Dec; KARI Danuri orbiter continuing 1-year nominal mission ending 16 Dec, striving for lunar lander / rover mission NLT 2030

Credits: JAXA, KARI, CNSA

Friday / 6 Oct 2023

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Japan Lunar Spacecraft Loops Past Moon on Circuitous Route to Precise Landing

700-kg Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) passed within 4,992 km of the lunar surface, imaging Moon from ~7,000-km and is now on long, fuel-saving path to LOI expected to take 2-3 months, followed by a month in lunar orbit with landing within 100-m target zone near Shioli crater / Cyrillus crater rim (13.3°S, 25.2°E) NET Jan 2024; Japan will come 5th nation to soft-land on Moon (after USA, USSR, China, India) if SLIM is successful; Payloads include Multi-Band Camera, Lunar Excursion Vehicle, Laser Retro-reflector

Credits: JAXA

Friday / 29 Sep 2023

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Japan National and Commercial Moon Landers in Transit and Under Construction

2.7-m long JAXA ‘Moon Sniper’ Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) on low-energy transit expected to reach lunar orbit NET Dec, with final 100-m2 target landing area near Shioli crater (13.3°S, 25.2°E) between Jan – Feb 2024, with imager / data link tested from 100,000-km with Earth photo and LEV rover to be activated for checks imminently; ispace working towards Mission 2 launch NET 2024 with flight model (based on Series 1) under construction at Tsukuba Space Center while Mission 3 with APEX 1.0 lander being developed with Draper now set for NET 2026; LUPEX collaboration with JAXA providing launcher / rover and ISRO providing lander to launch NET 2025

Pictured: ISRO / JAXA LUPEX team in India; Credits: JAXA, ispace

Friday / 8 Sep 2023

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Japan is Latest Nation to Join Lunar Exploration Wave with SLIM Lander on Way to Moon

JAXA controllers guiding US$100M Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) as orbital raising maneuvers set to commence, beginning fuel-efficient journey expected to take 3-4 months to reach lunar orbit with 100m-accuracy soft landing east of Shioli crater (13.2°S, 25.2°E) on 15° slope in late Jan / early Feb 2024; Advanced vision-based navigation system and belly landing technique to allow ‘landing where we want’ per JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa, capabilities to be utilized in JAXA-ISRO LUPEX polar mission NET 2025, Lunar Cruiser pressurized crew vehicle for Artemis late 2020s, and mid-sized lunar cargo lander early 2030s

Credits: JAXA