The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency reports that the lunar probe SLIM, short for Smart Lander for Lunar Exploration, is an intelligent landing module designed for Moon exploration and has achieved a soft descent. After landing, analysts say it will be essential to assess the device’s condition and technical status to confirm ongoing operability. Credit: JAXA.
SLIM challenges old stereotypes about Japanese technology. Its flight was economical because the lunar probe rode as a secondary payload with the XRISM X-ray telescope mission, the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission. In scale, SLIM is compact, measuring about 1.5 by 1.5 by 2 meters and weighing roughly a half ton, including fuel. By comparison, India’s Vikram lander from 2023 weighed about a ton and a half, while Russia’s Luna 25 was somewhat heavier than the Indian craft. Credit: JAXA.
Second, SLIM sets itself apart with a level of “smartness.” It touched down in a predefined circle about 100 meters across near the Scioti Crater. By contrast, Apollo landing sites featured broad elliptical areas of roughly 20 by 5 kilometers, forcing astronauts to visually seek a flat landing spot. The precision of SLIM’s descent comes from image recognition technology that processes camera imagery, compares it to a map, and adjusts the trajectory if the craft starts to drift. Credit: JAXA.
Precise landing capability becomes crucial for any future lunar base, since it would be impractical for astronauts to haul cargo across long distances on foot. Credit: JAXA.
After touchdown, SLIM will conduct scientific experiments for the remainder of the lunar day. If the probe remains operational, it will analyze soil chemistry near Scioti Crater using cameras with spectrometers. Two small mobile probes are designed to land from SLIM: LEV-1, the Lunar Rover, is a jumping robot equipped with a camera, a thermometer, a device to measure background radiation, and radios for direct Earth communication. LEV-2, developed by the toy company Tomy, is a miniature rover whose motion resembles a cross between a wind-up vehicle and a caterpillar, and it carries a video camera for image transmission. Credit: JAXA.
Even as SLIM pursues its science goals, the landing marks a significant milestone. If successful, Japan would become the fifth lunar power after the Soviet Union, the United States, China, and India. Credit: JAXA.
Young and player time
SLIM won’t be alone on the Moon in 2024. The mission landscape will include many small, low-cost devices, especially under NASA’s CLPS program. Commercial Lunar Cargo Services aims to turn lunar flights into routine, privately driven undertakings rather than singular, government-led expeditions. Credit: NASA.
One of these compact missions already faced a setback: on January 8, a new Vulcan rocket delivered the Peregrine lander to the Moon along with several miniature rovers, but the craft failed to reach target orbit due to fuel leakage. The Vulcan rocket was developed to replace the Atlas V after the RD-180 engine was retired, and it has performed well on subsequent missions with more on the schedule for 2024. Credit: NASA.
In February, Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander is set to launch on a Falcon 9, joining CLPS. NASA has contracted the Nova-C mission to deliver a suite of scientific instruments to the Moon’s south polar region, including the two-kilogram ILO-X optical telescope, which will test the viability of future lunar observatories. The vehicle will also carry instruments useful for future landings, such as a precise altitude measurement system. Credit: Intuitive Machines.
The recent IM-1 launch illustrates the new wave of lunar exploration, highlighted by the DOGE-1 cubesat. The project, named after the viral cryptocurrency Doge, captures the lighter, more playful spirit of these missions. Credit: IM-1.
The Hakuto-R lunar rover, developed by the Japanese company ispace, is expected to fly by the end of 2024. The mission is notable for its fully private, hands-off approach, with minimal government involvement in the design and execution. Credit: ispace.
Serious moon plans
NASA’s broader Moon program is a long-term push to make space access more routine. While CLPS progresses in the background, the United States plans to land a substantial device under its traditional approach. The VIPER rover, standing for Volatile Substances Investigating Polar Exploration Vehicle, measures 1.4 by 1.4 by 2 meters and weighs over 400 kilograms. It will land near the Moon’s south pole at 84.6 degrees south to study volatile materials in the regolith, with a focus on water. A neutron spectrometer will detect hydrogen at depth, two surface analyzers will study soil, and a meter-long drill will search for ice deposits. VIPER’s work will map lunar resources to support future crewed missions and reduce cargo mass from Earth. Credit: NASA.
A parallel, equally ambitious project is China’s Chang’e 6, targeting the far side of the Moon for its signature science. The mission will land near the Apollo crater, an area shaped by ancient meteorite impacts that created lava flows. Chang’e 6 plans to collect two soil samples, one from the surface and one from a two-meter depth, and return them to Earth for analysis. If successful, humanity will gain the first regolith samples from the Moon’s far side. Credit: CNSA.
All told, 2024 stands as a lunar year, with expectations that serious lunar missions will become more frequent. Looking ahead, the most visible milestone is the human landing on the Moon in 2026 under NASA’s Artemis program, followed by the establishment of a long-term lunar base. China is positioning itself to compete with the United States, potentially in partnership with Russia. Credit: NASA, CNSA, ispace.