Japan launches ‘Moon sniper’ lander

The mission aims to touch down on the lunar surface in early 2024

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully launched a lunar exploration craft aboard a domestically produced rocket, and aims to make a precision landing on the Moon by next February. 

An H-IIA rocket took off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on Thursday, releasing the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) for its several-month voyage to the lunar surface, according to JAXA.

Though the $100 million mission got off to a rocky start, with three postponements last month due to poor weather, JAXA noted that the rocket “flew as planned” during Thursday’s launch.

The space agency says it plans to make a “pinpoint landing” with the SLIM, aiming to be within 100 meters of its target site – earning it the nickname “Moon sniper.” JAXA noted the mission would provide valuable data and experience for future space exploration, including landings on “resource-scarce planets.”

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