Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), developed by the company under contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, successfully landed on the lunar surface at 00:20 a.m. on January 20 (Japan Standard Time). This is Japan's first lunar landing, making it the fifth country to safely land a spacecraft on the Moon, joining Russia (Soviet Union), the United States, China, and India.
The SLIM was developed to demonstrate high-precision landing technology on the Moon using a small spacecraft and to increase the frequency of lunar and planetary exploration with a lightweight lunar and planetary probe system. It was launched into space on September 7, 2023, aboard an H-IIA rocket.
The SLIM is considered to be a foundation for future lunar and planetary exploration, so its successful lunar landing is expected to pave the way for further progress in these fields.
Mitsubishi Electric was awarded a contract in 2015 with primary responsibility for the design, manufacture, and testing of the SLIM at the company's Kamakura Works in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, as well as providing in-orbit operational support. Mitsubishi Electric and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric Defense and Space Technologies Corporation (MEDS) developed the lander's core onboard equipment, including:
- Landing radar, incl. antenna and instrumentation system (Mitsubishi Electric) and electrical unit (MEDS)
- Integrated computer and software
- Communication system, incl. S-band transponder, S-band diplexer and S-band antenna (Mitsubishi Electric) and S-band hybrid (MEDS)
- Integrated power control unit (MEDS)
Click here to learn more about JAXA's SLIM Mission.
