Japan launched its first lunar lander

The SLIM module, launched from the Tanegashima Cosmodrome, can land on the surface of the Moon in a few months. As part of the mission, Japan intends to study the rocks of the lunar mantle.
The first SLIM lunar lander developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was launched into space. The launch vehicle lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Kagoshima Prefecture at 08:42 local time (04:42 Tashkent time) on Thursday, September 7. The launch was postponed several times due to weather conditions.

The landing of the module on the surface of the Earth satellite is expected within 4-6 months from the moment of launch. As part of the mission, the probe will analyze the composition of the Moon's mantle, which has been poorly studied so far, using a palm-sized rover (a vehicle that can travel on any road or off-road) and a multispectral camera.

Technologies used in the development of the device allow landing in a certain place with an error of no more than 100 meters. According to the AFP agency, this indicator reached several kilometers in previous landings on the Moon. "Humanity can now land where it wants, not just where it's easy," JAXA said before the flight.