• Space Systems

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 3661

Rendition of SLIM (courtesy JAXA)

Rendition of SLIM (courtesy JAXA)

TOKYO, January 20, 2024 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), developed by the company under contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), successfully landed on the lunar surface at 00:20 a.m. on January 20 (Japan Standard Time). This is Japan's first lunar landing, making it the fifth country to safely land a spacecraft on the Moon, joining Russia (Soviet Union), the United States, China and India.

The SLIM was developed to demonstrate high-precision landing technology on the Moon using a small spacecraft and to increase the frequency of lunar and planetary exploration with a lightweight lunar and planetary probe system. It was launched into space on September 7, 2023 aboard an H-IIA rocket.

The SLIM is considered to be a foundation for future lunar and planetary exploration, so its successful lunar landing is expected to pave the way for further progress in these fields.

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