News On Japan

Japan gearing up to launch small moon lander next month

SLIM is scheduled to lift off on Aug. 25.

Jul 29 (space.com) - The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is gearing up to send the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, mission to the moon on an H-2A rocket on Aug. 26 Japan time (0034 GMT, 9:34 a.m. JST, or 8:34 p.m. EDT on Aug. 25).

SLIM is, as its acronym suggests, a small-scale moon mission, but it has bigger ambitions in mind. The main aim of the lander — which is 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) high, 8.8 feet (2.7 m) wide and 5.6 feet (1.7 m) deep — is to demonstrate accurate lunar landing techniques, which will help make more challenging landing areas more accessible.

SLIM will aim to touch down within 328 feet (100 m) of its target point. This is crucial, as the mission is targeting a landing within Shioli Crater, a relatively fresh, 984-foot-wide (300 m) impact feature within Mare Nectaris, at 13 degrees south latitude and 25 degrees east longitude on the near side of the moon. ...continue reading

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris officially commenced with an opening ceremony held on the Seine River in the city center on the 26th (27th Japan time).

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has initiated the creation of guidelines for taking home leftovers as part of its efforts to reduce food waste. Restaurants are hopeful for clear directions on preventing food poisoning.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare have announced the average life expectancy for Japanese people last year, with women having an average life expectancy of 87.14 years, and men 81.09 years, both about half a month higher than the previous year.

Theft of air conditioner outdoor units has surged as Japan's heatwave continues, leaving some businesses unable to run critical cooling systems.

As power harassment allegations against the governor of Hyogo Prefecture continue to swirl, it has been revealed that another prefectural employee has passed away, with the prefecture delaying a formal announcement of the death by 3 months.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

A dinosaur fossil found in a stratum dating back approximately 110 million years (Early Cretaceous) in Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture, has been identified as a new genus and species of the small carnivorous dinosaur family Troodontidae, which is closely related to birds.

Japan's space business, predicted to grow into a 200 trillion yen industry, is on the cusp of innovation as global competition intensifies.

Japanese scientists have attached living skin to robot faces to make them “smile”. The University of Tokyo published its findings in late June 2024, along with a video of the material being stretched into an unsettling grin. (South China Morning Post)

In Kiyosato, Hokkaido, cherry salmon are making their way back from the Sea of Okhotsk to rivers to spawn as the breeding season approaches. These fish are showcasing their powerful jumps, attempting to scale a waterfall approximately 2.5 meters high.

A new variant, KP.3, different from those before, has emerged, and some say we are now in the 11th wave. The new variant is highly contagious, with symptoms primarily including throat pain and fever.

An eruption of Sakurajima on July 14th that sent plumes of smoke as high as 4,500 meters has been captured on camera.

With rising sea temperatures, the habitats of marine life are changing, and some of these changes involve dangerous creatures that require caution. One such creature is the venomous Blue-Ringed Octopus, which has poison hundreds of times more potent than cyanide.

The Japanese government has requested all water utility companies to report the results of water quality tests by the end of September regarding the organic fluorine compound "PFAS." But what exactly is PFAS, and is Japan's tap water safe? Based on interviews with Koji Harada, an associate professor at Kyoto University, we delve into the topic.