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☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ returns images after third long, lunar night
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Temperatures during the lunar night can plunge to minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. And Moon Sniper wasn’t expected to withstand even one lunar night, which is a period of darkness on the moon lasting about two weeks. Riding out the lunar nightThe mission team communicated with Moon Sniper on April 23 after the lander rode out its third lunar night. From JAXAIn addition to surviving the extreme cold of the lunar night, Moon Sniper has also endured the searing temperatures of the lunar day, which can reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. On February 29, after seven days of operating, Odie went to sleep because it wasn’t intended to survive the lunar night.

Persons: CNN —, Smart, SLIM, ’, Moon, ”, Odysseus, Odie ”, Odie, “ Odie, Jack Fischer, Fischer, ” Fischer, “, I’m, Vikram, Artemis, Noah Petro, Artemis III, ” Petro Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, JAXA, Reconnaissance, Artemis, Apollo Locations: Japan, Houston, India, China

☆ Space photos from 5 recent moon-landing missions show how tiny engineering errors can cause big problems, like crashing or landing sideways
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Houston-based company's uncrewed Odysseus lander was almost lost to one of the tiniest possible mistakes. The view from the Intuitive Machines Odysseus lander as it descended to its landing site. Intuitive MachinesWith less than two hours to go before landing, Intuitive Machines engineers frantically whipped up a new navigation system. Indeed, several robotic moon landing attempts have crashed or otherwise malfunctioned in the last few years. Similarly, Intuitive Machines' success on Thursday shows that small errors don't necessarily have to spell the end of a mission.

Persons: Steve Altemus, Trent Martin, Odysseus, Astrobotic —, Peregrine, Astrobotic Astrobotic, Astrobotic, Vikram, SpaceNews, Robert Braun, Kailasavadivoo Sivan, ispace, NASA's, Braun, Japan's Smart Lander, SLIM, LEV, Takara Tomy Organizations: US, Business, NASA, Reconnaissance, Goddard, Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, freefall, JAXA, Takara, Sony Group Corporation, Doshisha Locations: India, Japan, Houston

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ wakes up after long lunar night
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Japan’s “Moon Sniper” is the lunar mission that keeps coming back to life. This feat was unexpected given that the lunar lander wasn’t designed to survive the moon’s harsh temperatures. But the spacecraft’s waking hours were short, and on January 31, the Moon Sniper entered what JAXA called a “two week dormancy period during the long lunar night.” Temperatures during the lunar night can plunge to minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. The last scene of the moon from the lander’s perspective before lunar night was shared on X on February 1 once the mission team sent commands to the Moon Sniper and confirmed it was in a dormant state. This moody scene was the last image taken by the SLIM lander before entering lunar night in late January.

Persons: CNN —, Smart, SLIM, Odie ” Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, SLIM, Earth Locations: Japan, Houston

☆ H3: Japan launches second flagship rocket a year after failed maiden attempt
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Junko Ogura | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s space agency says it has successfully launched its flagship H3 space rocket, a year after its maiden attempt ended in failure. The H3 left the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan at 9:22 a.m. local time on Saturday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in a statement. H3’s maiden launch ended in failure last March when its second stage failed to ignite and its controllers issued a destruct command just 15 minutes after lift-off. That was just one of a string of problems for the maiden launch, which had already been postponed after ignition failures hit two of the rocket’s secondary booster engines. Experts say this could be used for drinking water or for fuel as humanity pushes the boundaries of space exploration in the future.

Persons: Japan’s Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Smart, Soviet Locations: Japan, United States, Soviet Union, China

TOKYO (AP) — An unmanned lunar spacecraft has captured and transmitted data analyzing 10 lunar rocks, a greater-than-expected achievement that could help provide clues about the origin of the moon, a Japan space agency official said Wednesday. A black-and-white photo transmitted soon after SLIM was reactivated showed the bumpy lunar surface, including six rocks. By comparing the mineral compositions of moon rocks and those of Earth, they could find out if the rocks have common elements, he said. SLIM carried two autonomous probes which were released just before touchdown, recording the landing, surroundings and other lunar data. The landing made Japan the world's fifth country to reach the moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India.

Persons: SLIM, —, Shinichiro Sakai, ”, ” Sakai Organizations: TOKYO, Smart, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA Locations: Japan, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Japan's moon probe landed upside-down but somehow it still works
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementJapan's first moon landing is full of surprises, now including coming back to life. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon — aka the SLIM probe — landed on the moon with astonishing accuracy on January 19. JAXA's resurrection on the moonAn illustration of JAXA's SLIM spacecraft on the moon shows how it's supposed to stand upright on its legs. the JAXA SLIM team posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday. The US and the Soviet Union each landed on the moon several times in the 20th century.

Persons: —, Smart Lander, SLIM, Shinichiro Sakai, Sakai Organizations: Service, SLIM, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Reuters, MBC, Associated Press Locations: China, India, Japan, Russia, Soviet Union

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese moon explorer is up and running Monday after several tense days without the sunlight it needs to generate power. But with the dawn of the lunar day, it appears that the probe has power. The craft was then turned off to wait the sun to rise higher in the lunar sky in late January. SLIM carried two autonomous probes, which were released just before touchdown, recording the landing, surroundings and other lunar data. The landing made Japan the world's fifth country to reach the moon surface, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India.

Persons: —, Smart, SLIM, it’s Organizations: TOKYO, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA Locations: Japan, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ robot explorer resumes operations on lunar surface
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Hanako Montgomery | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s “Moon Sniper” robotic explorer is back in action, the country’s space agency said Monday, after a power issue forced the spacecraft to shut down upon landing on the moon 10 days ago. The agency shut off the lunar explorer to conserve its battery, saying it would automatically be restarted if its solar panel began generating power as the angle of the moon changed. Its mission can be considered at least a “minimum success” because it achieved a precise and soft lunar landing using optical navigation, the agency has said. Multiple space agencies and countries have attempted moon landing missions over the past year, leading to a historic first as well as some failures. The new lunar space race is partly driven by countries’ desire to access water trapped as ice in permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole.

Persons: “, Smart Lander, SLIM, China — Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Soviet Locations: Japan, , India, United States, Soviet Union, China

☆ Sea of Nectar: What you should know about the moon area where Japan’s lander touched down
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

If the lander turns on again, it could make good on its objectives to collect unprecedented information about a region called the Sea of Nectar. The 1969 US moon mission Apollo 11 captured this oblique view of the large crater Theophilus at the northwest edge of the Sea of Nectar. Here's the first picture sent back by the Moon Sniper after it landed on the lunar surface. The Sea of Nectar is much smaller than its neighbor the Sea of Tranquility, which is over 540 miles (875 kilometers) across and is similarly smooth and flat. “After the Apollo missions, we brought back samples and learned they were essentially massive lava planes,” Osinski said.

Persons: Smart, SLIM —, Moon, Theophilus that’s, ”, Gordon Osinski, who’s, Artemis, Osinski, we’ve, ” Osinski, Sara Russell, haven’t, Russell, “, SLIM, ” “, John Pernet, Fisher, Pernet, it’s, Tranquillity, Canada’s, maria ”, “ It’s, NASA’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, Western University, Lunar Reconnaissance, Planetary Materials, Ritsumeikan University, Aizu, University of Manchester, Planetary Institute, Apollo, Getty Locations: Japan, , Ontario, Shioli, United Kingdom

Japan became the fifth country in history to reach the moon when the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, touched down on the Moon early on Saturday. Improved accuracy would give scientists access to more of the moon, since probes could be placed nearer to obstacles. One of the lander's main engines lost thrust about 50 meters (54 yards) above the moon surface, causing a harder landing than planned. For the pinpoint landing, Sakai said, he would give SLIM a “perfect score.”“We demonstrated that we can land where we want,” Sakai said. Japan followed the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India to reach the moon surface.

Persons: Smart, SLIM, touchtown, Shinichiro Sakai, ”, Sakai, ” “, ” Sakai, “, ” LEV, toymaker Tomy, LEV, Daichi Hirano Organizations: TOKYO, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Sony, Doshisha University, Mitsubishi Locations: Japan, United States, Soviet Union, China, India, Japanese

☆ A new space photo of Japan's first spacecraft to land on the moon shows why it's not generating any power
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Mari Yamaguchi | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Japan became the fifth country in history to reach the moon when the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, touched down on the Moon early on Saturday. One of the lander's main engines lost thrust about 50 meters (54 yards) above the moon surface, causing a harder landing than planned. 275 images from spaceTwo probes on Japan's SLIM moon lander. Japan followed the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India to reach the moon surface. A spacecraft designed by a Japanese company crashed during a lunar landing attempt in April, and a new flagship rocket failed its debut launch in March.

Persons: —, Smart, SLIM, Eugene Hoshiko, Shinichiro Sakai, Sakai, JAXA LEV, LEV, toymaker Tomy, Daichi Hirano Organizations: Service, Business, AP, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Sony, Doshisha University, Mitsubishi Locations: Japan, United States, Soviet Union, China, India, Japanese

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s space agency said Thursday that its “moon sniper” robotic explorer landed 55 meters (165 feet) from its target on the lunar surface last week, calling it a “significant achievement” despite problems during the landing that put the mission in jeopardy. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, mission reached the moon’s surface just after 10:20 a.m. Shown here is the first picture sent back by the Moon Sniper after it landed on the lunar surface. JAXAA lunar surface scan mosaic image captured by the SLIM-mounted, enlarged view. If the Moon Sniper can survive the frigid temperatures of lunar night, the space agency hopes light might reach the solar cells as the sun’s angle on the moon changes, potentially restoring power generation and allowing operations to resume.

Persons: Smart Lander, SLIM, Ashley Strickland Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Saturday, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Ritsumeikan University, Aizu Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ lands but its fate is unclear due to power issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Rovers, science experiments, golf balls and other telltale signs of human exploration still sit on the lunar surface, and it’s only just beginning as more space agencies and countries plan trips to the moon. An artist's illustration depicts the SLIM lander's descent toward the lunar surface. JAXAJapan’s “Moon Sniper” robotic explorer successfully landed on the lunar surface Friday but almost immediately encountered a critical issue. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency team said it believes the solar power issue is a result of the spacecraft facing the wrong direction. If the Moon Sniper can soak up some sunlight, the mission may continue.

Persons: Smart Lander, Emmanuel Rondeau, ”, Eager, Nick Famoso, Irene Stachon, Trent Ford, Lockheed Martin, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, ”, telltale, JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, North America, University of Alaska, WWF, Force, NASA, Lockheed, CNN Space, Science Locations: Soviet, North, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Elma, Malayan, Malaysia, Oregon, Mitchell , Oregon, Scandinavia, Finland, Äkäslompolo, United States, Chicago, Illinois

India: The most recent moon landing before Japan’s was successfully completed by India, whose spacecraft touched down last year near the unexplored south pole of the moon. The most recent moon landing before Japan’s was successfully completed by India, whose spacecraft touched down last year near the unexplored south pole of the moon. China: The country made its first lunar landing in 2013 on the near side of the moon. The country is planning to undertake another moon mission in the next few years. The country is planning to undertake another moon mission in the next few years.

Persons: ” Hitoshi Kuninaka, SLIM, Japan’s, Vladimir Putin’s, it’s Organizations: Institute of Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Smart, Soviet Union, Innovation Nations, News Locations: Japan, U.S, India, Russia, China, United States

People raise their hands after a successful moon landing by the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), in a public viewing event in Sagamihara, south of Tokyo, Japan January 20, 2024. Japan staked a claim among national space powers on Friday, as its SLIM spacecraft reached the lunar surface. The country's SLIM lander launched in September and touched down on the lunar surface around 10:20 a.m. Japan's SLIM, which stands for "Smart Lander for Investigating Moon," is a cargo research mission. It carries a variety of scientific payloads, including an analysis camera and a pair of lunar rovers.

Persons: SLIM, Smart Lander Organizations: Smart, SLIM, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Engineers, Japan Locations: Sagamihara, Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Soviet Union, U.S, China, India

TOKYO (AP) — As Japan's space agency prepares for its first moon landing early Saturday, it's aiming to hit a very small target. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, a lightweight spacecraft about the size of a passenger vehicle, is using “pinpoint landing” technology that promises far greater control than any previous moon landing. The mission's main goal is to test new landing technology that would allow moon mission to land “where we want to, rather than where it is easy to land,” JAXA has said. After landing, the spacecraft will seek clues about the origin of the Moon, including analyzing minerals with a special camera. Japan also hopes a success will help regain confidence for its space technology after a number of failures.

Persons: Smart Lander, SLIM, LEV, toymaker Tomy Organizations: TOKYO, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, U.S, Mitsubishi, Sony, Doshisha University Locations: Japan, United States, Russia, China, India, Tokyo

☆ Japan has landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time, but the mission didn't go exactly according to plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Japan successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time in the nation's history. AdvertisementOn Friday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced that its SLIM spacecraft had successfully landed on the moon. But the spacecraft isn't generating solar power. But many of these instruments may go unused if the spacecraft can't generate solar energy to power them. Even though the mission didn't go exactly according to plan, Kuninaka said that JAXA considers it a success since the spacecraft successfully touched down on the moon.

Persons: —, James Stuby, Smart Lander, SLIM aren't, Hitoshi Kuninaka, there's, Kuninaka Organizations: Service, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, SLIM, Japan, JAXA, NASA Locations: Japan, China, India

☆ Japan’s SLIM mission aims for historic lunar landing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s uncrewed Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, mission is expected to touch down on the moon at 10:20 a.m. 1) The Sea of Tranquility 2) the Apollo 11 landing site 3) the Shioli crater that the SLIM mission is targeting and 4) the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing site. New space raceMultiple space agencies and countries have attempted moon landing missions over the past year, leading to a historic first as well as failures. The lightweight SLIM lander, which launched in September, carries new precision technology to demonstrate a “pinpoint” landing. Part of the motivation behind the new lunar space race is a desire to access water trapped as ice in permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole.

Persons: Smart Lander, SLIM, China —, Ispace’s, Russia’s Luna, Astrobotic, — Organizations: CNN —, Japan Aerospace, Saturday, YouTube, CNN, Getty, JAXA, Soviet, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Locations: CNN — Japan, India, United States, Soviet Union, China, Soviet

☆ Japan’s SLIM ‘Moon Sniper’ spacecraft prepares for historic lunar landing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jackie Wattles | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, is expected to touch down on the lunar surface at 10:20 a.m. The spacecraft, also nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” for its precision technology, will begin its descent toward the lunar surface at 10 a.m. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SLIM lunar lander launched aboard a H-IIA launch vehicle on September 7, 2023, from the Tanegashima Space Center. A new lunar space raceThe SLIM mission comes amid a renewed international push to explore the moon. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

Persons: Smart Lander, ”, Kenji Kushiki, SLIM, —, Ray, Kushiki, Ispace’s, Luna, The Peregrine, Peregrine Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace, Saturday, Soviet Luna, YouTube, JAXA, Center, Ray Imaging, NASA, Getty, SLIM, Soviet, Soviet Union, The Locations: Japan, Soviet, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Japan Moon Landing Small Spacecraft Aims to Make Japan 5th Nation on the Moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If the landing succeeds, it will make Japan the fifth country to land on the moon, after the Soviet Union, the United States, China and India. Here’s what to know about SLIM’s lunar landing: SLIM is currently in lunar orbit and will begin its descent around 10:40 a.m. Eastern time on Friday. The experimental SLIM spacecraft, nicknamed “moon sniper,” is about the size of a small food truck. The mission’s primary goal is to demonstrate a navigation system that could help future spacecraft land on the moon or other worlds with more precision. After landing it will eject two small rovers, LEV-1 and LEV-2, which will briefly explore around the lander.

Persons: Smart Lander, SLIM, LEV Organizations: JAXA, Smart Locations: Japan, Soviet Union, United States, China, India

☆ Japan Becomes the Latest Country to Land on the Moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Kenneth Chang | More About Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Japanese robotic spacecraft successfully set down on the moon on Friday — but its solar panels were not generating power, which will cut the length of time it will be able to operate to a few hours. With this achievement, Japan is now the fifth country to send a spacecraft that made a soft landing on the moon. The spacecraft, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, was intended to demonstrate precision landing, within a football field of a targeted destination rather than an uncertainty of miles that most landers are capable of. The technology could also be useful for future missions like those in NASA’s Artemis program . Japan is a partner in that program, which will send astronauts back to the moon in the coming years.

Persons: landers Organizations: JAXA, Smart Locations: Japan

☆ After two failed attempts in the past year, Japan could be next in line to land on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

An H2-A rocket carrying a small lunar surface probe and other objects lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima island, Kagoshima prefecture on September 7, 2023. Last month, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a lunar exploration spacecraft from its Tanegashima Space Center. Japan also discarded efforts to land its Omotenashi spacecraft on the moon in November after failing to stabilize communication. Japan's success this time around could be a leap for space exploration more broadly. "It shows that they are learning from their mistakes — a very important aspect of space exploration," said Behar, who is also Phillip and Sarah Gotlieb Memorial Chair at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology.

Persons: Kari Bingen, Bingen, Smart Lander, SLIM, Ehud Behar, Norman, Helen Asher, Behar, Phillip, Sarah Gotlieb, We've Organizations: Press, Afp, Getty, Japan, Aerospace Security, International Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, SpaceX, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Anadolu Agency, Helen Asher Space Research, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Artemis Accords, Artemis, Capital, Nurphoto Locations: Tanegashima, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, Cape Canaveral , Florida, India, China, U.S, Bingen, South, Shanghai

☆ Japan launches X-ray satellite, ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar lander
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A revolutionary satellite that will reveal celestial objects in a new light and the “Moon Sniper” lunar lander lifted off Wednesday night. The XRISM satellite (pronounced “crism”), also called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint mission between JAXA and NASA, along with participation from the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterAlong for the ride is JAXA’s SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Previously, Japanese company Ispace’s Hakuto-R lunar lander fell 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before crashing into the moon during a landing attempt in April. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

Persons: Ray, SLIM, Smart Lander, ”, Richard Kelley, James Webb, XRISM, Taylor Mickal, ” Kelley, “, Xtend, Brian Williams, NASA’s, Goddard, Ispace’s Organizations: CNN, Japanese Space Agency, YouTube, Ray Imaging, JAXA, NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, NASA Goddard Space Flight, Goddard Space Flight, Space Center, Soviet Locations: Japan, Greenbelt , Maryland, XRISM, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Japan Launches Rocket Carrying Moon Lander SLIM After Three Delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Kantaro KomiyaTOKYO (Reuters) -Japan launched the H-IIA rocket carrying the national space agency's moon lander on Thursday morning, after unfavourable weather led to three postponements in a week last month. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the rocket took off from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as planned. The rocket is carrying JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft, dubbed the "moon sniper" for its experimental precision landing technology. SLIM's lunar landing is scheduled for early next year. Political Cartoons on World Leaders View All 226 ImagesTwo earlier attempts by Japan to land on the moon failed in the past year.

Persons: JAXA's Smart Lander, Kantaro Komiya, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Tanegashima Space, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NASA Locations: TOKYO, Japan, India

TOKYO (AP) — Japan launched a rocket Thursday carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe as well as a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan was shown on live video by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA. Also aboard the latest Japanese rocket is the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, a lightweight lunar lander. The Smart Lander won’t make lunar orbit for three or four months after the launch and would likely attempt a landing early next year, according to the space agency. In February, the H3 rocket launch was aborted for a glitch.

Persons: Ray, David Alexander, ” Alexander, Smart, Shinichiro Sakai, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, —, Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Ray Imaging, NASA, Rice Space, Rice University, Smart, U.S . Apollo Locations: — Japan, Japan, U.S, Russia, China, India

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