Smart Lander for Investigating Moon

Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)
Mission type Lander
Operator JAXA
Mission duration 2-3 weeks in lunar orbit, several days on lunar surface (planned)[1]
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer MELCO
Launch mass 590 kg[1]
Dry mass 120 kg[2]
Dimensions 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 m (4.9 × 4.9 × 6.6 ft)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date 2019 (planned)
Rocket Epsilon
Launch site Uchinoura Space Center

Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is a lunar lander being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Unlike lunar landers of the past which have landed "where it is easy to land", SLIM will land "where it is wanted to land".[3] As of 2016, the probe is planned to be launched in 2019.[2][4]

Overview

SLIM is Japan's first major lunar surface mission, and will demonstrate precise, pinpoint lunar landing. During its descent to the moon, the lander will recognizing lunar craters by applying the technology used in facial recognition systems, and decipher its current location from utilizing observation data collected by the SELENE (Kaguya) lunar orbiter mission. SLIM aims to soft land with an error range of 100 m (330 ft).[4][5][6] In comparison, the error range of the Apollo 11 Eagle lunar module was an elliptic which was 20 km (12 mi) wide in downrange and 5 km (3.1 mi) wide in crossrange.[2] According to Yoshifumi Inatani, deputy director general of the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), by succeeding in this extremely precise landing, it will lead to enhancing the quality of space exploration.[7]

SLIM will be launched by an Epsilon rocket taking off from Uchinoura Space Center, and is to land near the Marius Hills Hole,[8] a lunar lava tube entrance discovered by Kaguya.[9] The expected cost for developing this project is 18 billion yen.[10]

History

The proposal which later came to be known as SLIM existed as early as back in 2005, as theSmall Lunar Landing Experiment Satellite (小型月着陸実験衛星).[11] On 27 December 2013, ISAS called for proposals for its next "Competitively-Chosen Medium-Sized Focused Mission", and SLIM was among the seven proposals submitted.[2] In June 2014, SLIM passed the semi-final selection along with the DESTINY technology demonstration mission, and in February 2015 SLIM was ultimately selected.[12] From April 2016, SLIM gained project status within JAXA.[13] In May 2016, Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO) was reportedly awarded the contract for building the spacecraft.[14] SLIM is scheduled to be the second Japanese lunar lander to operate from the moon's surface; on 27 May 2016 NASA announced that the OMOTENASHI (Outstanding MOon exploration TEchnologies demonstrated by NAno Semi-Hard Impactor) cubesat jointly developed by JAXA and the University of Tokyo will be launched as a secondary payload on Space Launch System Exploration Mission 1. OMOTENASHI will deploy a mini lunar lander weighing 1 kg.[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "小型月着陸実証機(SLIM)プロジェクト移行審査の結果について" (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "小型探査機による高精度月面着陸の技術実証（SLIM）について" (PDF) (in Japanese). 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  3. ↑ "SLIMについて". SLIM homepage (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-06-23. ... 従来の「降りやすいところに降りる」着陸ではなく、「降りたいところに降りる」着陸へ ...'
  4. 1 2 Hongo, Jun (November 12, 2015). "Japan Plans Unmanned Moon Landing". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  5. ↑ "Small lunar-lander "SLIM" for the pinpoint landing technology demonstration" (PDF). June 9, 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  6. ↑ "[PPS26-10] Introduction of SLIM, a small and pinpoint lunar lander". 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  7. ↑ "ＪＡＸＡはどのような構想を描いているのか…スリム計画を関係者に聞く". The Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). May 11, 2016. Retrieved 2015-06-05.
  8. ↑ Haruyama, Junichi; Sawai, Shujiro; Nakatani, Kouji (2012-03-07). "SLIMが目指す月の縦穴。縦穴探査に期待される科学" (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  9. ↑ "ＪＡＸＡ、無人機で月着陸へ−小型探査機「ＳＬＩＭ」を１８年度に打ち上げ". Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (in Japanese). April 21, 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  10. ↑ "日本初の月面着陸機、今年から開発スタート 「世界に先駆け高精度技術目指す」". The Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). January 1, 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  11. ↑ Hashimoto, Tatsuaki; et, al. (30 November 2005). "小型月着陸実験衛星" (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  12. ↑ "深宇宙探査技術実証機 DESTINY+" (PDF) (in Japanese). January 7, 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-23.
  13. ↑ "ISASニュース 2016.5 No.422" (PDF) (in Japanese). Institute of Space and Astronautical Science. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-23.
  14. ↑ "Japanese lunar lander to be built by Mitsubishi Electric". Nikkei Asian Review. May 18, 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  15. ↑ "小型衛星を月へ打ち上げ　ＪＡＸＡ・東大、着陸にも挑戦 18年に２基". Nikkei (in Japanese). May 28, 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-23.
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