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.
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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.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
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.