<\/p>\n
TOKYO: Japan\u2019s \u201cMoon Sniper\u201d craft made a pin-point lunar landing despite last-minute engine problems, the space agency said on Thursday as it released the first images from the mission.<\/p>\n A photo taken by a mini-rover showed the boxy yellow lander sitting intact at a slight angle on the rocky grey surface, lunar slopes rising in the distance.<\/p>\n The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) \u2014 dubbed the \u201cMoon Sniper\u201d for its precision technology \u2014 had the goal of touching down within 100 metres (330 feet) of a specific landing spot on a crater.<\/p>\n \u201cSLIM succeeded in a pin-point soft landing [\u2026] the landing point is confirmed to be 55 metres away from the target point,\u201d space agency JAXA said on Thursday.<\/p>\n The lander suffered engine problems during its descent that may have knocked it off course, Shinichiro Sakai, SLIM\u2019s project manager, told reporters. Before that, the craft had been on track to land even closer to its target.<\/p>\n Problems with the lightweight spacecraft\u2019s solar batteries also meant they were not generating power.<\/p>\n Nearly three hours after touchdown, JAXA decided to switch SLIM off with 12 per cent power remaining to allow for a possible resumption when the sun\u2019s angle changes. That could be in just a week because the craft\u2019s solar cells are facing west, the agency said. \u201cBased on current estimates, we are preparing for the resumption of the probe\u2019s operations by February 1,\u201d JAXA said.<\/p>\n Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2024<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THIS photo released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on Thursday, taken and transmitted by a lunar surface robot, shows the \u2018Moon Sniper\u2019 parked nose first on the surface of the moon.\u2014AFP TOKYO: Japan\u2019s \u201cMoon Sniper\u201d craft made a pin-point lunar landing despite last-minute engine problems, the space agency said on Thursday as it released 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