Japan’s SLIM Mission: JAXA Concludes Lunar Landing Effort
Japan’s space agency, JAXA, has officially concluded the SLIM unmanned lunar landing project. The mission, which had aimed to touch down on the Moon in January 2024, ended after mission control determined that communication with the lander could not be reestablished. Acknowledging the setback, JAXA reported that a command to terminate SLIM activities was issued around 22:40 local time on August 23, with the Coordinated Universal Time marked at 13:40. The statement cited the inability to restore contact as the primary reason for halting the mission. This decision was communicated through JAXA’s official channels and later summarized for the public. Source: JAXA.
The SLIM objective centered on examining a portion of the lunar mantle at the surface level within a crater where the lander was positioned. Through a compact payload, the mission carried two main instruments: a transmitter probe designed to relay data and a small lunar rover tasked with capturing and transmitting images back to Earth. This combination aimed to provide both subsurface insights and surface documentation of the crater environment. Source: JAXA.
The landing itself achieved success despite an unfortunate angular orientation that momentarily left the solar panels facing away from the Sun. As the Sun’s angle shifted, the deployment proceeded, allowing SLIM to begin its scientific observations for a two-day window. A high-performance camera documented the crater, delivering visual data to mission teams on Earth. Source: JAXA.
JAXA noted that SLIM was not originally designed to endure the two-week-long lunar nights, when temperatures plummet to well below freezing. Yet the lander demonstrated resilience, surviving three lunar nights while maintaining functional capabilities. This endurance information contributes to lessons about thermal management and autonomous operation for future small-state precision landers. Source: JAXA.
In a broader context, Japan has previously outlined plans to extend lunar exploration by sending two astronauts to the Moon, a schedule that underlines the nation’s ambition in crewed space missions alongside its robotic program. The SLIM mission, though unsuccessful in full operational duration, provided practical experience in precision landing, communication architecture, and rover-assisted surface analysis that informs subsequent Japanese lunar initiatives. Source: JAXA.