Japan's space agency on Monday postponed for the third time the launch of its "Moon Sniper" lunar mission due to strong winds just half an hour before launch.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) gave no new date for the launch, which comes after India successfully landed a probe on the Moon last week.
The rocket, set for launch from the southern island of Tanegashima, will also carry a research satellite developed by JAXA, NASA and the European Space Agency.
Tatsuru Tokunaga, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries official in charge of the launch, told reporters the mission was postponed as "upper winds did not meet the launch conditions" and that it would take "at least three days" to prepare for another attempt.
The firm said the launch needs to happen before the current window expires on September 15.
Last week, India landed a craft near the Moon's south pole in a historic triumph.
Previously, only the United States, Russia and China had managed to put a spacecraft on the lunar surface, and none on the south pole.
India's success came days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region, and four years after a previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.
Japan has also tried before, attempting last year to land a lunar probe named Omotenashi, carried on NASA's Artemis 1 mission, but the mission went wrong and communications were lost with the craft.
In April, Japanese start-up ispace failed in an ambitious attempt to become the first private company to land on the Moon, losing communication with its craft after what the firm called a "hard landing".
The "Moon Sniper" is so called because JAXA is aiming to land its lightweight "Smart Lander for Investigating Moon" (SLIM) within 100 metres (330 feet) of a specific target on the Moon.
This is far less than the usual range of several kilometres.
Using a palm-sized mini rover developed with a toy company, SLIM aims to investigate how the Moon was formed by examining exposed pieces of the lunar mantle.
Japan has also had problems with launch rockets, with failures after liftoff of the next-generation H3 model in March and the normally reliable solid-fuel Epsilon the previous October.
Last month, the test of an Epsilon S rocket, an improved version of the Epsilon, ended in an explosion 50 seconds after ignition.
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Analyst Summary
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On Monday, Japans space agency postponed the launch of its Moon Sniper lunar mission for the third time due to strong winds. The mission was set to launch from the southern island of Tanegashima and was to carry a research satellite developed by JAXA, NASA, and the European Space Agency. This follows Indias successful landing of a probe on the Moon last week. The mission must take place before the current window expires on September 1
5. Japan has tried to land on the Moon before, attempting last year to land a lunar probe and a private company tried and failed in an ambitious attempt in April. The mission is called Moon Sniper because JAXA is aiming to land its lightweight Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) within 100 metres of a specific target. This article highlights the various attempts Japan has made to land on the moon in comparison to other nations, such as India, the US, Russia, and China. It also discusses the potential implications of the mission and the potential future impacts.
In the past 25 years, there have been a number of significant events and trends in the space and defense industry. In the 1990s, the US began de-emphasizing its focus on manned spaceflight, and in the 2000s, the US and other countries began developing reusable launch vehicles. In the last decade, private space companies such as SpaceX have become increasingly involved in space exploration, while at the same time, government-funded space programs have seen a resurgence. This article is significant as it shows Japans continued interest in space exploration, and its attempts to land a probe on the Moon. It also highlights the competition between countries in the race to explore the Moon and its potential implications.
Investigative
Question:
- 1. What are the potential implications of Japans Moon Sniper mission for the space and defense industry globally?
- 2. How does Japans mission compare to other countries missions in terms of cost, technology, and risk?
- 3.
What challenges have been encountered in Japans attempts to land a probe on the Moon so far?4. How has the competition between countries in the space and defense industry changed over the past 25 years?
5. What new space technologies have been developed or are currently in development that could aid in Japans mission?
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