An image taken by SORA-Q shows SLIM on the moon.
17:36 JST, January 25, 2024
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on Thursday released an image of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, on the moon, as well as the results of an analysis of data the probe sent to Earth. The image of SLIM, which successfully landed on the moon’s surface before dawn on Saturday, was captured by a small robot. The image shows the probe where it landed with its engines pointing upwards, making it appear as if it was upside down.
The small robot, SORA-Q – which weighs about 250 grams and was jointly developed by JAXA, toymaker Tomy Co., Sony Group Corp. and Doshisha University – separated from the lunar probe just before landing and captured the image of SLIM after it had crashed.
According to JAXA, SLIM is believed to have successfully performed a high-precision landing, settling within 100 meters of its intended spot.
