JAXA: SLIM soft landing successful but will likely die prematurely after landing
According to managers at Japan’s space agency JAXA, its SLIM lunar lander successfully completed its soft landing on the Moon.
It appears SLIM’s solar cells are not producing power. The spacecraft is presently on battery power, which will only last a few hours. Engineers are presently rushing to download images, taken during descent and after landing. There is also no word yet on whether the two test rovers were successfully released and achieved their test goals.
To precisely determine if the lander achieved its goal to hit a precise landing zone less than 300 feet across will require further analysis, much of which will depend on the images presently being downloaded. At the moment the engineers believe this goal was achieved, however, based on the telemetry already received.
Thus, it appears Japan has managed a soft-landing, something that in the past few years several countries (Israel, Russia, India, United States) and private companies (SpaceIL, Ispace, Astrobotic) have failed to do. Right now Japan appears to be the third nation to succeed in this new round of lunar exploration, joining China and India (which succeeded on its second attempt).
The next lunar landing attempt will be by the American private company, Intuitive Machines. Its Nova-C lander is scheduled for launch on a Falcon 9 rocket in mid-February.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
According to managers at Japan’s space agency JAXA, its SLIM lunar lander successfully completed its soft landing on the Moon.
It appears SLIM’s solar cells are not producing power. The spacecraft is presently on battery power, which will only last a few hours. Engineers are presently rushing to download images, taken during descent and after landing. There is also no word yet on whether the two test rovers were successfully released and achieved their test goals.
To precisely determine if the lander achieved its goal to hit a precise landing zone less than 300 feet across will require further analysis, much of which will depend on the images presently being downloaded. At the moment the engineers believe this goal was achieved, however, based on the telemetry already received.
Thus, it appears Japan has managed a soft-landing, something that in the past few years several countries (Israel, Russia, India, United States) and private companies (SpaceIL, Ispace, Astrobotic) have failed to do. Right now Japan appears to be the third nation to succeed in this new round of lunar exploration, joining China and India (which succeeded on its second attempt).
The next lunar landing attempt will be by the American private company, Intuitive Machines. Its Nova-C lander is scheduled for launch on a Falcon 9 rocket in mid-February.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Watching the press conference, it was hinted that the craft may start charging its batteries once the sun falls on the panels. Either they landed at a really funny angle or they have a bad orientation relative to sunlight.
No matter the outcome, they have landed and received data back. That is a win for JAXA. The lunar economy is starting to ramp up.
“solar cells are not producing power”
SLIM Shady?
Beginning to believe in Navajo voodoo
–and how
Every failure means a treasure trove of new knowledge that makes future success far more likely. (Obviously, but sometimes it’s good to emphasize the obvious.) The most important thing is at the beginning: decide to go. Israel, India, Japan, and private companies decided to go!
This is a glorious time for space exploration. It’s like the first wave in the 60s, but better because it’s not just superpowers doing the great things, it’s also smaller countries and commercial interests. Not going to stop this time.
Beginning to believe in Navajo voodoo
IIRC, voodoo comes from Haiti, I think the proper term might be “medicine” for the Navajo
In defense of Michael’s thought provoking reference to voodoo, the word may be considered colloquial to describe supernatural abilities of any religion, belief system, or tribe in the world. I thought it was authentically African.
In a similar vein, in the Right Stuff movie John Glenn sees numerous “firefly” like sparks floating around the capsule while in orbit over Australia. Down in Australia the Aborigines have made large bon-fires and are performing rituals to mark the event. John says he can see the fires from space. Accuracy of the event in the movie as compared to what really happened is welcome.
Allan: Using that very bad film, The Right Stuff, as a source of information is a very big mistake. That entire story about Glenn seeing those fires from space is a lie. Didn’t happen as portrayed, not even close.
Glenn and ground control quickly recognized that the “fireflies” Glenn saw were frozen condensed water or fuel. At no time did they assign any supernatural aspect to it, and would have considered anyone doing so to be foolish.