Share this @internewscast.com

Japan’s moon lander nailed its tricky, “pinpoint” touchdown on the lunar surface, officials from the country’s space agency announced Thursday, but a newly released image revealed that the spacecraft became overturned in the process.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA, confirmed that the mission achieved its goal of a precision landing within 100 meters (328 feet) of its target — a feat that could broaden the number of potential landing sites for future missions to the moon.

With the successful touchdown of the SLIM lander (short for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon), Japan became the fifth country in history to achieve a controlled or “soft” landing on the moon. Only the United States, the former Soviet Union, China and India can similarly boast about such an accomplishment.

The SLIM mission represents another giant leap forward in lunar exploration.

A wheeled rover that was released before the SLIM craft landed snapped a photo that appears to show the probe upside-down on the moon’s surface. As such, the lander’s solar panels are not angled properly to harness sunlight and power up the probe, according to JAXA.

The agency said there is still a chance that the lander could recover and generate power as sunlight shifts in the coming days.

“Although SLIM’s activities on the Moon were originally expected to last only a few days, the necessary preparations for recovery will continue in order to acquire further technical and scientific data,” JAXA officials said in a statement.

Space probes typically aim for landing sites that are at least several miles wide, but JAXA said the achievement of a pinpoint landing opens up new opportunities.

“We proved that you can land wherever you want, rather than where you are able to,” said Shinichiro Sakai, the SLIM lander’s project manager, according to Reuters.

Sakai added that the mission “will inspire more and more people, desirably Japanese missions, to try to land on unexplored places on the moon.”

JAXA on Thursday discussed the outcome of the moon landing, revealing new details about how the loss of one of the probe’s two main engines during the final descent caused it to land harder than anticipated. The glitch likely also caused the lander to settle roughly 55 meters (180 feet) east of its targeted landing spot, mission managers said.

Had both engines performed as expected, the spacecraft could have pulled off an even more precise landing, touching down within 10 meters (33 feet) or less of its target, according to JAXA.

The SLIM mission launched Sept. 6 and entered into orbit around the moon several months later. The lander’s main goal was to demonstrate its highly precise navigation and landing system, but it also deployed small rovers to carry out temperature and radiation experiments, among other science objectives.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Watch: Democrat Senator Hilariously Own-Goals His Party With Criticism of DOJ Pipe Bomb Case Arrest

Watch: Democrat Senator’s Unintended Critique of DOJ Pipe Bomb Case Sparks Viral Stir

Over the years, politicians have certainly given us some memorable moments, but…
Douglas Murray: Europe must step up it's own defense spending and deter Putin, Russia from any more invasions

Douglas Murray Urges Europe to Bolster Defense Spending to Deter Further Russian Aggression

Jokes about the European military have circulated for ages. One that stands…
Fox News ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter: No red carpet for terrorists

Fox News Launches ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter: A Firm Stance Against Terrorism

Fox News’ “Antisemitism Exposed” newsletter is your source for stories highlighting the…
Haitian gang leader learns sentence for orchestrating kidnapping of 16 American missionaries

Haitian Gang Leader Receives Sentence for Kidnapping of 16 American Missionaries

A Haitian gang leader, identified by federal prosecutors, received a life sentence…
'Quite uncomfortable': New community task force pushes for upgrades to the Mathews Bridge

Community Task Force Demands Urgent Upgrades for Mathews Bridge Amidst Growing Safety Concerns

A Jacksonville historian has initiated a grassroots movement advocating for safety enhancements…
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 2025

Experience the Magic: 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Unveiled

New York City is bustling with holiday cheer as the Rockefeller Center…
Supreme Court allows Texas to use a congressional map favorable to Republicans in 2026

Supreme Court Greenlights Controversial Texas Congressional Map Favoring Republicans for 2026 Elections

The Supreme Court provided a lifeline to Texas Republicans on Thursday, approving…
Ex-Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, convicted of George Floyd murder, files for new trial

Derek Chauvin Seeks New Trial: Unpacking the Latest Twist in the George Floyd Case

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer famously convicted of second-degree murder…
Climate Catastrophe Is Absent in West Virginia

Why West Virginia Remains Untouched by Climate Chaos: An In-Depth Exploration

West Virginia stands out as a state that largely dismisses the dramatic…
Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera had deleted suicide note on phone, police say

Texas A&M Student’s Deleted Suicide Note Uncovered in Ongoing Police Investigation

In a troubling turn of events, Texas authorities have officially determined that…
Changing the narrative: Florida moms celebrate babies born with Down syndrome with Jack's Baskets

Florida Moms Redefine Joy: Celebrating Down Syndrome Births with Jack’s Baskets

Jack’s Basket, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to honoring the arrival of…
Elevated CTA train station at State, Lake downtown Chicago to close for 3 years in January for reconstruction

State/Lake CTA Station in Downtown Chicago to Undergo 3-Year Closure for Major Reconstruction Starting January

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Department of Transportation has announced that the…