What is Japan's 'Moon sniper' mission?

What is Japan's 'Moon sniper' mission?

GOAL

GOAL

Land a probe on the Moon with pinpoint accuracy (within 100 meters of its target).

SIGNIFICANCE

SIGNIFICANCE

Opens up possibilities for future exploration of resource-limited celestial bodies. Provides data on the Moon's history and potential for water ice.

Tech highlights

Tech highlights

– Vision-based navigation system uses onboard camera and lunar maps for precise landing.

Tech highlights

Tech highlights

Rolling spherical sub-probe deployed to explore the landing site

TIMELINE

TIMELINE

* Launched in September 2023. *Attempted landing on Lunar surface on January 18, 2024.