SLIM (from the English abbreviation Smart Lander, which means Moon Investigation), landed on Earth's natural satellite at 3:20 pm on January 19 in Lisbon), after a bumpy 20-minute landing in which it lost one of its engines.[MóduloInteligenteparaInvestigaraLua)aterrounosatélitenaturaldaTerraàs15h20dedia19dejaneiroemLisboa)apósumacidentadadescidade20minutosemqueperdeuumdosseusmotores[MóduloInteligenteparaInvestigaraLua)aterrounosatélitenaturaldaTerraàs15h20dedia19dejaneiroemLisboa)apósumacidentadadescidade20minutosemqueperdeuumdosseusmotores
The device was able to establish contact with Earth after landing, but it was unable to generate power from its solar cells, a problem that has already been solved, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Only the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, and recently India have been able to land on the moon.
More than fifty years after humans first set foot on the moon – the United States in 1969 – the moon is once again the center of a global race.
In addition to the United States and China, Russia also dreams of reviving the space glory of the former Soviet Union, by joining forces with China and India, which were able to make the first landing on the moon last summer.
Japan's first two attempts to land on the moon failed. In 2022, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Omotenashi probe, aboard the Artemis 1 mission in North America, suffered a fatal battery failure shortly after being launched into space.
In April, a module belonging to the private Japanese start-up I Space crashed on the surface of the moon, after failing in the landing phase.
George Orwell is a writer and contributor covering politics, society, culture, and current affairs. His work focuses on providing clear analysis and thoughtful commentary on the issues shaping modern Britain and the wider world, helping readers better understand complex topics.
