See where we have already landed on the Moon and which countries have landed – 01/19/2024 – Science

In a few hours, Japan will attempt to join a select group of countries that have already landed on the Moon. The attempt, by the way, will employ a strategy never before attempted for landing and with levels of precision also never before achieved.

To date, only the United States, Russia (in fact, the Soviet Union), China and India have successfully landed on the Moon.

The first landings using robots took place in 1966. The Soviet Union, in February of that year, arrived on the lunar soil with Luna 9. In June of the same year it was the USA’s turn, with Surveyor 1.

In 1969, humanity’s historic first steps on the Moon came, with the Apollo 11 mission. On that occasion, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the lunar surface.

The last lunar landing of the 20th century by a robot occurred in August 1976, with the Luna 24 mission, from the Soviet Union.

Decades later, in 2013, China landed on the natural satellite, with robotic equipment.

And finally, last year, India also achieved the feat.

How the Japanese attempt to land on the Moon will work

Japan trusts Slim (acronym for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) to achieve the objective of the lunar landing. It is the first Japanese state attempt to do so. From 2007 to 2009, the country undertook the successful orbital lunar mapping mission, using the Selene spacecraft (also called Kaguya).

The country’s recent history, however, is not positive, considering that the Japanese’s first attempt to land an artifact on the Moon, in 2023, by the Japanese company ispace, failed when trying to reach the surface of the natural satellite.

The Japanese probe that will attempt to land this Friday entered orbit around the Moon on December 25th. It has recently been maneuvering to increase its approach to the surface, until it is 15 km away from it. It is from there that the descent to the Shioli crater begins.

In the unprecedented landing strategy, the module will descend vertically and, after touching its rear legs on the ground, it will settle horizontally.