What Japan Did on the Moon Is Game-Changing | Unexplained

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What Japan Did on the Moon Is Game-Changing

Earlier this year, Japan made history by landing a spacecraft on the Moon for the first time. This achievement places Japan alongside the USA, Russia, India, and China. However, JAXA’s mission was not just about…

March 10, 2025 • 3 min read • Art Grindstone

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In This Report(8)

Earlier this year, Japan made history by landing a spacecraft on the Moon for the first time. This achievement places Japan alongside the USA, Russia, India, and China. However, JAXA’s mission was not just about landing; it showcased an extraordinary level of precision in lunar exploration.

Key Takeaways

Japan’s SLIM mission achieved unprecedented landing precision.
The spacecraft survived three lunar nights, defying expectations.
SLIM’s technology could revolutionize future lunar missions.

The Moon Sniper: A Revolutionary Mission

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, is a small, lightweight spacecraft about the size of a passenger vehicle. Its primary mission is to analyze olivine rocks near the Shioli Crater, located 200 miles south of the Sea of Tranquility, where Neil Armstrong made his historic landing.

This landing zone is significant because it allows researchers to study lunar rock without drilling. By examining these rocks, JAXA aims to uncover more about the Moon’s origins and formation.

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SLIM also carried two tiny lunar excursion vehicles, LEV-1 and LEV-2, designed to gather additional data and images.

Precision Landing: A Game Changer

Historically, only about 43% of lunar landings have been successful. Past missions faced significant challenges due to technological limitations and the Moon’s harsh environment. For instance:

The Soviet Union’s Luna 9 took a dozen attempts before landing successfully.
NASA’s Ranger series required six tries to achieve a successful landing.

The absence of an atmosphere on the Moon complicates landing, as landers must rely solely on engine thrust. This makes it difficult to adjust trajectories accurately. Every Apollo mission landed perilously close to rocks or slopes, with limited ability to make real-time adjustments.

If we can develop spacecraft capable of precise landings, we can explore various lunar regions without relying on rovers to travel long distances. This reduces mission complexity and costs while opening new avenues for exploration.

The Technology Behind SLIM

SLIM’s success can be attributed to its vision-based navigation system, referred to as “smart eyes.” This system continuously captures images of the lunar surface during descent, allowing the spacecraft to locate itself in real-time using orbital maps created by data from other lunar rovers.

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