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☆ The International Space Station is leaking. NASA and Russia’s space agency disagree on the risks
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —A Russian-controlled segment of the International Space Station is leaking, allowing pressure and air to bleed out. The situation has reached a fever pitch as cosmonauts scramble to patch problem areas and officials from Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, and NASA disagree about the severity of the problem. Looming space station issuesNASA has contingencies in place for crew safety, but the space agency is also grappling with the fact that the leaking Russian module may pose a threat to the safety and longevity of the space station. In addition to Roscosmos, they include the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Still, it’s not clear whether the commercial destinations will be ready before the space station is forced to retire.

Persons: CNN —, “, ”, Bob Cabana, Roscosmos, ” Cabana, Cabana, Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Alexander Grebenkin, NASA's, Aubrey Gemignani, ” Roscosmos, —, “ We’ve, ” Barratt, “ It’s, Oleg Novitskiy, Barratt —, Dana Weigel, compadres, Barratt, Don Pettit, Pettit, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, Aleksandr Gorbunov, Jeff Bezos, it’s Organizations: CNN, International, NASA, NASA’s, ISS, SpaceX, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, United, ”, Roscosmos, Space Station NASA, Zvezda, Station, Space Station, Russian Soyuz, Soyuz, SpaceX Crew, Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Origin Locations: Zvezda, United States, Russia, Florida, Russian

☆ Perseverance rover captures video of ‘googly eye’ feature on Mars
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Perseverance rover spotted a quick glimpse of a cosmic “googly eye” on Mars during a recent solar eclipse. The Perseverance rover, currently ascending the western wall of Jezero Crater, captured a video of the partial eclipse, which resembled a googly eye, on September 30. Previous images includes a video taken by the Curiosity rover in 2019 and photo that the Opportunity rover snapped in 2004. Astronomer Asaph Hall discovered Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, in 1877. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Martian Moons eXploration mission, or MMX, intends to solve some of those enduring riddles.

Persons: —, Asaph, Mars, MSSS, ”, Rick Welch, Perseverance’s, Hazel Hill Organizations: CNN, NASA, Opportunity, Japan Aerospace Exploration, JPL, Caltech, ASU, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Locations: Mars, Pasadena , California

☆ NASA is planning to give the beleaguered Boeing Starliner another shot at space — in late 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NASA is planning to give the Boeing Starliner another chance. The agency has scheduled two SpaceX launches — Crew-10 and Crew-11 — for 2025. AdvertisementNASA has released the schedule for its commercial launches in 2025, and the Boeing Starliner is slated to get another chance at spaceflight. Advertisement"Meanwhile, NASA is keeping options on the table for how best to achieve system certification, including windows of opportunity for a potential Starliner flight in 2025," it added. The duo are scheduled to return via the SpaceX Crew Dragon in February 2025.

Persons: Starliner, —, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Russia's Roscosmos, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Williams, Elon Musk, NASA didn't Organizations: NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, —, Service, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, International, Station, Starliner, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Business Locations: New Mexico

☆ Scientists digitally dissect ancient Egyptian ‘screaming’ mummy
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Ancient Egypt’s pyramids, pharaohs and artifacts delight the imagination, reigniting wonder of the distant past in every generation. Experts are also using the latest techniques to spill secrets hidden within discoveries made decades ago, with new research this week “digitally dissecting” an unusual mummy found in 1935. The "screaming woman" whose mummified remains were discovered in 1935 may have died violently, a new study suggests. — To keep swimmers and beachgoers safe, scientists are using artificial intelligence to detect juvenile sharks, which like to hang out near the shore. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: Sahar Saleem, Saleem, Saleem couldn’t, Venus, Guillermo Legaria, Lonely Guy, —, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kasr Al, Cairo University, Mercury, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, JPL, Caltech Venus, Lonely, —, CNN Space, Science Locations: ., Damietta, Egypt, Luxor, New York City, Kasr Al Ainy, Europe, Asia, Thailand, Southeast Asia

☆ Mercury could have an 11-mile underground layer of diamonds, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

This mechanism, the researchers say, can not only give us more insight into the secrets hidden below Mercury’s surface, but on planetary evolution and the internal structure of exoplanets with similar characteristics. Mercury owes its gray surface to the widespread presence of graphite, which is a form of carbon. Also known as the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging mission, it gathered data about the planet’s geology, chemistry and magnetic field, before the spacecraft ran out of fuel and impacted the surface. “However, some lavas at the surface of Mercury have been formed by melting of the very deep mantle. “Only future missions to the planet Mercury will tell whether these predictions were correct.

Persons: ”, Bernard Charlier, it’s, Yanhao Lin, ” Charlier, Lin, Charlier, —, Giuseppe “ Bepi ”, Sean Solomon, Solomon, landers, ” Solomon, BepiColombo, Manley, Felipe González, González, ” González, “ Organizations: CNN, Mercury, University of Liège, NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington Mysterious, Center for, Science, Technology, Research, Nature Communications, MESSENGER, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Columbia University, ESA, University of California Locations: Mercury, Belgium, Beijing, Italian, Giuseppe “ Bepi ” Colombo, New York City, Berkeley

☆ Asteroid Bennu has a surprisingly watery past, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —An early analysis of a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu suggests that the space rock had an unexpectedly water-rich past — and it may have even splintered off from an ancient ocean world. But the compound from the Bennu sample is purer and has larger grains. Rocks and dust were collected from asteroid Bennu and returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission. Erika Blumenfeld/Joseph Aebersold/NASA“The sample we returned is the largest reservoir of unaltered asteroid material on Earth right now,” Lauretta said. “Each week, analysis by the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team provides new and sometimes surprising findings that are helping place important constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth-like planets.”

Persons: REx, ”, Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS, Connolly, Dante Lauretta, “, Erika Blumenfeld, Joseph Aebersold, ” Lauretta, Nick Timms, Harold Connolly Jr Organizations: CNN, NASA, Planetary, Goddard Space Flight, Japan Aerospace, Earth, University of Arizona, Bennu, Curtin University’s School of, Planetary Sciences, Rowan University’s School of Earth Locations: Greenbelt , Maryland, Tucson, Glassboro , New Jersey

☆ NASA tasks SpaceX to build disposal vehicle for International Space Station
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It would latch onto the International Space Station — a nearly 1 million-pound structure roughly the size of a football field — and guide the craft as it plunges out of Earth’s orbit. The federal agency operates the International Space Station alongside Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, which controls a key wing of the station and propulsion modules. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency also play roles in its operations. But the space agency stipulated that it would only require that the vehicle be ready by 2029. In the news release, NASA noted that it is committed to continuing space station operations through 2030.

Persons: Roscosmos, ” Ken Bowersox, Tracy Dyson, “, ” Organizations: CNN, NASA, SpaceX, Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, International, ” NASA, Deorbit, Collins Aerospace Locations: Roscosmos, Russian, North Carolina

☆ New mission could reveal secrets of the moon’s ‘hidden side’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In one lunar region, Japan’s “Moon Sniper” mission has beaten the odds and survived three long, frigid lunar nights since its sideways landing on January 19. The Tianwen-2 mission will visit the space rock later this decade. But first, China has set its sights on returning to the moon’s “hidden side.”An illustration depicts the far side of the moon, with Earth behind it. Since the Chang’e 4 mission in 2019, China remains the only country to have landed on the moon’s far side, sometimes called the “dark side” of the moon. Scientists hope that returning samples from the far side could solve some of the biggest remaining lunar mysteries, including the moon’s true origin.

Persons: Graziano Ranocchia, Ranocchia, Plato, Emma Pomeroy, “ She’s, ”, Pomeroy, Armas Rakus, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Kevin Bacon, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Engineers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, Apollo, Platonic Academy of Athens, University of Pisa, Netflix, University of Cambridge, Norton Disney, Archaeology Group, Roman, International Space, CNN Space, Science Locations: China, Kurdistan, Gunung Leuser, South Aceh, Indonesia, Morocco

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ NASA will pay 4 health-conscious 'astronaut-like' people to live inside a Mars simulation for 378 days. See if you qualify.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewNASA is hiring four people to spend 378 days living inside a simulated Mars habitat in Houston. NASA is looking for people who are "as astronaut-like as possible," said Bell, who also leads NASA's Behavioral Health and Performance Lab. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio with tomatoes growing on the International Space Station. NASA/Lacey YoungIn the Mars simulation, for 378 days, you can't go for a walk outside. JPL/NASAIt's not just experience and stress tolerance that makes a Mars astronaut.

Persons: —, Suzanne Bell, Bell, Ross Brockwell, Mars, CHAPEA, Frank Rubio, Koichi Wakata, Lacey Young, Bill Stafford, Go Nakamura, It's, There's, NASA It's, there's, that's Organizations: Service, Crew Health, NASA, Behavioral, Business, Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, REUTERS, JPL, Getty Locations: 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) — A new Japanese flagship H3 rocket lifted off from a space station in southwestern Japan on Saturday in a key second test flight a year after its failed debut launch. The H3 rocket blasted off from a launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center two days after its originally scheduled liftoff which was delayed due to bad weather. The rocket's initial flight has been smooth as planned, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said in its livestreaming. The launch is closely watched as a test for Japan’s space development after H3 failed in its debut flight last March. JAXA and its main contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been developing H3 as a successor to its current mainstay, H-2A, which is set to retire after two more flights.

Organizations: TOKYO, Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Associated Press Locations: Japan

☆ Japan Takes Another Shot at Next-Generation H3 Rocket Launch
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch its second H3 on Saturday from its Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. The setbacks of the H3 and another small rocket, Epsilon, have caused widespread delays in Japanese satellite launches. Saturday's H3 launch carries a dumbbell-shaped 2.6-ton dummy mass simulating a satellite payload. Launch operator Mitsubishi Heavy hopes to launch six H3s a year once stable production is established. Another objective is to win orders from global clients, as satellite launch demands have skyrocketed thanks to affordable commercial vehicles such as SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9.

Persons: Kazuto Suzuki, Masayuki Eguchi, Lockheed Martin, Masashi Okada, Okada, Ko Ogasawara, Ogasawara, Kairos, Kantaro Komiya, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SLIM, University of Tokyo, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi, Epsilon, Canon Electronics, U.S, European Space Agency, United Launch Alliance Vulcan, Boeing, Lockheed, Tokyo University of Science, Technologies Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, India, Tokyo

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

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's space agency on Tuesday postponed the launch of a second test flight of its new flagship rocket H3 series planned for this week because of bad weather forecast at the launch site. The fiasco triggered disappointment and uncertainty about Japan's space exploration plans, concerns that were compounded after a spacecraft designed by a Japanese company crashed during a lunar landing attempt in April. The launch of the H3 rocket had already been held up more than two years due to an engine development delay. Mitsubishi's H3 project manager Mayuki Niitsu said there is a growing demand for rockets that can stably launch satellite constellations. “We hope to achieve success of the second H3 rocket and show our capability to our potential customers,” he said and added that H3 could be competitive with major global players, such as SpaceX.

Persons: Masashi Okada, Japan's, “, ” Okada, Okada, Mayuki Niitsu, ” Organizations: TOKYO, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Canon Electronics, Seiren, SpaceX Locations: Japan, Japanese, United States, China

☆ I tried the perfect space meal for astronauts, and it was surprisingly flavorful and easy to make
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Emily Swaim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Moreover, because of how microgravity affects human metabolism, astronauts need a lot more energy to function than people on Earth. The perfect astronaut meal: space saladNASA astronaut Frank Rubio with tomatoes growing on the International Space Station. How it tastesEmily SwaimI decided to make the meal and determine for myself what this space salad of the future would be like to prepare. Therefore, we can calculate approximately how much nutrition astronauts would earn from eating this space salad. AdvertisementIf you wanted to add meat to your space salad, I'd recommend pairing it with a lighter option such as chicken or tuna.

Persons: —, Frank Rubio, Koichi Wakata, It's, Emily Swaim, Volker Hessel, who's, Lacey Young, Leland Melvin, Hessel Organizations: Service, NASA, Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Food Science & Technology, University of Adelaide, Food Systems Laboratory, International, Getty

☆ 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

☆ 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

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

☆ 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

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