On January 20, 2024, at 0:20 am (JST), The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) successfully landed on the moon’s surface. Five days later, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft passed over the landing site and photographed SLIM.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured the image from approximately 50 miles (80 km). The bright streaks observed on the image’s left side are rocky materials ejected from the nearby Shioli crater, which is relatively young.
Notably, Japan achieved the milestone of becoming the fifth nation to execute a soft landing on the lunar surface successfully. This accomplishment reflects Japan’s contribution to lunar exploration and scientific research.
On January 25, 2024 (JST), JAXA, in collaboration with the University of Aizu and Ritsumeikan University, released images captured by the Multi-Band Camera (MBC) onboard the SLIM.