Japan launches 'Moon Sniper' lunar lander, hopes to become 5th nation to land on Moon

After three delays and several weather-related postponements, Japan launched its moon mission, called SLIM on September 7.

Japan is hoping to become the fifth nation in the world for successful landing on the Moon by the SLIM spacecraft.

SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, is taking a uniquely long route to the Moon and is scheduled to make a landing in four to six months. If successful, SLIM would be the smallest and lightest spacecraft to land on the Moon.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sent its greetings to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on the successful launch.

“Congratulations JAXA on the successful launch of the SLIM lander to the moon. Best wishes for another successful lunar endeavour by the global space community,” ISRO said.

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A satellite designed for astronomical observations, the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), was also carried by the H-IIA rocket that launched the SLIM into space. 14 minutes after the launch, XRISM was released from the rocket and deployed in the intended orbit. XRISM will study the mass-energy flows, composition, and evolution of celestial objects by making high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of the hot gas plasma wind that blows through galaxies.