Japanese lander enters transfer orbit on its way to Moon

The Japanese lunar exploration module SLIM has successfully entered a transfer orbit on its way to the Earth's natural satellite.

The module, launched on September 7, became the first such device launched by Japan, Caliber.Az reports with reference to the website of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

“SLIM completed its Earth orbit phase and changed its orbit to head toward the Moon at 2:40 a.m. on October 1, 2023, completing the transition to the lunar transition phase,” the agency said. It clarified that the device is currently “in normal condition.”

It is expected that in the near future, the data from the SLIM module expedition will be used in the development of the American lunar mission Artemis 1 (“Artemis-1”). The mission's objectives include testing the technology for a soft landing on the surface of a celestial body in conditions of weak gravity. In addition, using the equipment installed on the module, it is also planned to study the metal content in lunar soil.

Japan became the fifth country to successfully send a module to the Moon. Before this, only the USA, USSR, India and China were able to do this.