News On Japan

Japan's First Lunar Landing Mission: SLIM Enters Moon's Circular Orbit at 600 km Altitude

TOKYO, Jan 15 (News On Japan) - Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced on Monday that the unmanned spacecraft "SLIM," aimed at Japan's first lunar landing, has been placed in a circular orbit around the Moon at an altitude of 600 kilometers in preparation for landing.

The unmanned probe SLIM, developed by JAXA, is currently in orbit around the Moon.

According to JAXA, on Sunday evening, SLIM adjusted its course and was successfully placed in the planned circular orbit at an altitude of about 600 kilometers.

In the coming days, it will gradually descend and begin its final descent from an altitude of 15 kilometers around midnight on January 20, attempting to land on the Moon about 20 minutes later.

The mission aims to achieve a landing accuracy within 100 meters, which is less than one-tenth the error margin of other countries. If successful, Japan will become the fifth country in the world to achieve a lunar landing.

Website: JAXA

Source: ANNnewsCH

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Reporters Without Borders has released its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, ranking Japan 66th out of 180 countries and regions surveyed, just behind Timor-Leste (65th) and Fiji (64th).

The Trump administration has imposed a 25% additional tariff on imported auto parts, including engines and transmissions, with the measure taking effect at 1:01 p.m. Japan time on May 3rd.

Plans are underway to install designated smoking areas inside the Expo site for the first time.

Okinawa Prefecture has issued a warning to watch out for habu snakes, which become more active as temperatures rise in May, particularly during farming and outdoor activities in mountainous areas.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after driving into seven elementary school children near an Osaka school as they were walking home.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), made from used cooking oil and other waste materials, has been produced domestically in Japan for the first time and supplied to an aircraft.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority approved a draft review on April 30th confirming that safety measures at Hokkaido Electric Power’s Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 comply with the country’s updated safety standards. This effectively clears the unit for restart, making it the 18th reactor at 11 nuclear plants nationwide to pass the review under the new regulatory framework.

Vegetables that were destined for disposal are being given a new purpose as crayons that retain their natural colors and even a faint trace of their original scent.

One of the main attractions at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, the "flying car," experienced an unexpected malfunction, raising concerns about safety and delaying its return to operation.

What does it feel like to have Restless Legs Syndrome? To me, it’s like being buried in sand, with a deep heavy ache, and trying to resisting the urge to move making it even more unbearable.

Organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS—suspected to be harmful to human health—have been detected at concentrations exceeding the national provisional target in rivers and groundwater at 242 sites across 22 prefectures, according to a government survey.

Kyoto University and its research team have revealed that several former employees of Daikin Industries developed lung diseases, potentially linked to exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of chemical compounds used in industrial manufacturing.

Amazon held a product briefing for its security brand "Ring" in Fukuoka City on April 21st, aiming to boost recognition in Fukuoka Prefecture, where the population continues to grow.