Reuters Science News Summary

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) landed the moon's surface at around 12:20 a.m.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Japan's SLIM spacecraft lands on moon, a first for the country

Japan on Saturday became the world's fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon, as the space agency said its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has made a soft landing on the lunar surface. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has attempted the landing of the probe dubbed "moon sniper" within 100 metres (328 feet) of target. It will take up to a month to verify if SLIM has achieved the precision goals, the agency has said.

Japan's SLIM moon craft short on power after successful lunar landing

Japan on Saturday became the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon, but solar power issues threatened to cut short the nation's mission to prove a "precision" landing technology and revitalise a space programme that has suffered setbacks. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) landed the moon's surface at around 12:20 a.m. (1520 GMT Friday), but its solar panels were not able to generate electricity, possibly because they are angled wrong.

Crew with first astronaut from Turkey launched on flight to space station

Turkey's first astronaut and three other crew members representing Europe were launched from Florida on Thursday on a voyage to the International Space Station in the latest commercially arranged mission from Texas startup Axiom Space. A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the Axiom quartet lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket about an hour before sunset from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, beginning a planned 36-hour flight to the orbiting laboratory.

Japan's space programs and moon missions

Japan aims to become the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon when it tries a precision landing on Friday. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is attempting to land within 100 metres (328 feet) of its target. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) says the technology will become essential to searching for water, and other factors that could sustain life on the moon.

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