JAXA to launch lunar lander in August

Jul 12, 2023 | News On Japan

Jul 12, 2023 (NHK) - Japan's space agency says its lunar lander will be launched on an H2A rocket next month.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, on Tuesday announced the launch of the probe called the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM.

The SLIM project is seeking to be Japan's first lunar landing. It will test pinpoint landing technology as well as examining moon rocks.

If successful, Japan would be the fourth country to carry out a lunar landing.

Data obtained by the probe would be used for the US-led Artemis program aimed at sending astronauts to the moon for space exploration.

The H2A is to lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan on August 26 at 9:34 a.m., local time.

The launch vehicle will also carry a new X-ray astronomical satellite, XRISM, jointly developed with US space agency NASA and others.

Typhoon Forecast to Approach Okinawa During Silver Week

A tropical depression far south of Japan is expected to develop into a typhoon as early as the night of September 15, potentially approaching Okinawa during the Silver Week holiday period before changing course and bringing heavy rain to other parts of the country.

Global Hawk Reconnaissance Drone Missing Off Tottori

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft went missing over international waters about 50 kilometers north of Tottori Prefecture on September 15, with floating debris and oil later found in the area where communications were lost.

Japan Aims to Launch First Fully Driverless Taxis in 2027

GO, Waymo and Nihon Kotsu said they aim to launch Japan's first commercial fully driverless taxi service in Tokyo during 2027, using Level 4 autonomous vehicles that can operate without a driver on board under specified conditions.

KAJIMA TREE Unveiled Six Months Before International Horticultural Expo

Kajima Corp. has unveiled the construction site of KAJIMA TREE, a roughly 60-meter wooden tower being built for the International Horticultural Expo that will open in March 2027.

Helicopter Rescues on Mt. Fuji to Incur Fee

Climbers who get into trouble on Mount Fuji during the official closed season could be charged for rescue by disaster-prevention helicopters under new safety measures being considered by Yamanashi Prefecture.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Cybercab Arrives in Japan

Tesla unveiled its Cybercab in Japan for the first time on September 11, showcasing an AI-powered autonomous taxi designed without a steering wheel or pedals.

Footage Shows Tokyo Flood Control Tunnel After Heavy Rain

Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation.

Lights Out for Fluorescent Lamps

Fluorescent lamps that have illuminated Japanese homes and workplaces for decades are approaching the end of production, with Panasonic preparing to wind down a business it has operated since 1951 while experts warn that incorrectly replacing some fixtures with LEDs could create a fire risk.

Dry Fog Finds New Uses in Industry, Farming and Tourism

Osaka-based spray nozzle maker IKEUCHI is expanding applications for its proprietary "Dry Fog," an ultra-fine mist that can cool, humidify and create visual effects without leaving surfaces wet, with the technology now being used in factories, livestock farming, crop cultivation and tourist attractions in Japan and overseas.

Japan Moves to Commercializing Low-Power Optical Computing

Japanese companies are moving closer to commercializing photonics-electronics convergence technology that replaces part of conventional electrical data transmission with optical signals, potentially allowing huge volumes of data to move with lower latency while sharply reducing power consumption as artificial intelligence drives rapid growth in electricity demand from data centers.

Just 27 Centimeters Could Dramatically Reduce Power Consumption

A new generation of optoelectronic integration technology developed over four decades by Japanese companies is moving closer to commercialization, offering a way to transmit huge volumes of data with low latency while sharply reducing the electricity consumed by data centers as artificial intelligence drives explosive growth in computing demand.

CameraJet Connects Cleaning Coaching and Privacy

Dyson CameraJet™ turns the smart toothbrush into an active sensing product, making useful feedback and clear privacy design part of the same engineering brief.

Japanese Researcher Wins Ig Nobel Prize

A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years.

< 2 3 4 5 >