Page 3 - Mare Nectaris News Today

The mission puts the agencys pinpoint landing technology to the test and could accelerate international space exploration.

Japan chooses to go to the Moon, and it’s doing so with a strong emphasis on accuracy. With SLIM, the nation’s space agency is aiming for an autonomous, high-precision landing within an impressive 328 feet (100 meters) of its intended target inside Shioli Crater.

A Japanese space agency manager calls it "a breathless, numbing 20 minutes of terror!" The process includes ejecting a robot onto the lunar surface, to take photos of the moon lander.

A Japanese space agency manager calls it "a breathless, numbing 20 minutes of terror!" The process includes ejecting a robot onto the lunar surface, to take photos of the moon lander.

The SLIM lander is expected to touch down on the lunar surface on Friday morning.

Japan is now the fifth country to pull off a soft landing on the moon. A Japanese space agency manager earlier called the landing "a breathless, numbing 20 minutes of terror!"

Japan is now the fifth country to pull off a soft landing on the moon. A Japanese space agency manager earlier called the landing "a breathless, numbing 20 minutes of terror!"

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed that its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) will make the landing on the Moon on Friday

If successful, SLIM aims to land on the slope of Shioli Crater, a relatively fresh, 300-metre-wide impact feature within Mare Nectaris, at 13 degrees south latitude and 25 degrees east longitude on the near side of the moon. �� Japan Moon Mission: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Confirms Its SLIM Lander Will Make Landing on Moon on January 19.

On Wednesday evening the first quarter moon displays seven of its "seas" including two not often seen.