Japan's Lunar Lander Rocket Launch Success... "Attempting Moon Surface Landing in January-February Next Year"

JAXA Launches H2A Rocket No. 47
Interest in Japan's First Possible Moon Landing

As the global competition for lunar exploration intensifies, Japan has successfully launched a rocket carrying a lunar lander. The country plans to attempt a lunar surface landing between January and February next year, and if successful, it will become the fifth nation in the world to achieve a moon landing.

On the 7th, NHK reported that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the H2A rocket No. 47 at 8:42 a.m. from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu.

The rocket carried Japan's first lunar lander mission, 'SLIM' (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon), and the astronomical observation satellite 'XRISM' (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission). SLIM separated and was deployed into orbit before 9 a.m., and XRISM followed around 9:30 a.m.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

JAXA announced that communication with both SLIM and XRISM was established without any issues and that both are operating normally in orbit.

SLIM is scheduled to enter lunar orbit in 3 to 4 months and will attempt Japan's first lunar landing between January and February next year.

JAXA originally planned to launch the H2A No. 47 rocket in May, but postponed the schedule after the failure of the first launch of the new H3 rocket, intended to replace H2A, in March. The H3 rocket was destroyed during ascent when the ignition of the second-stage engine was not confirmed.

Since the H2A uses the same equipment for its second-stage engine as the H3, JAXA strengthened inspections of common components and implemented countermeasures for this launch, NHK reported.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Expectations are rising within Japan about whether SLIM will succeed in achieving the first lunar landing. This is because JAXA and private companies have repeatedly attempted lunar landings but failed.

Last November, JAXA sent the probe 'Omotenashi' aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis I mission in the United States, but the mission failed due to loss of communication, resulting in a failed lunar landing.

Subsequently, the lunar lander developed by the Japanese venture company 'ispace' crashed on the lunar surface in April this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.