SLIM is a small Japanese lunar lander planned to launch this year.
Here:
https://sorabatake.jp/25799/
is an article about it, with some images, describing two small landers which will deploy from it and operate on the surface.
In Japanese. Open in something which will offer a translation if required.
Phil
Full Version: SLIM
The launch of SLIM is now planned for August 25 Pacific Time. I saw today at NSSDC that the landing site is now near Shioli Crater.
"The landed weight will be about 210 kg, landing objective is to be within 100 meters of the target point, the ejecta blanket of Shioli crater (crater centered at approximately 13.322 S, 25.232 E)."
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/....action?id=SLIM
Go SLIM!
"The landed weight will be about 210 kg, landing objective is to be within 100 meters of the target point, the ejecta blanket of Shioli crater (crater centered at approximately 13.322 S, 25.232 E)."
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/....action?id=SLIM
Go SLIM!
Click to view attachment
Two published suggestions for the landing site.
sources:
Kushiki, K., Sakai, S., Sawai, S. et al., 2017. System design of the small lunar lander SLIM. Presented at the 17th Space Science Symposium, January 2017. Presentation P-073.
Sakai, S., 2019. To the target location on the moon. Introduction of the small lunar lander “SLIM” project. JAXA/ISAS.
Phil
Two published suggestions for the landing site.
sources:
Kushiki, K., Sakai, S., Sawai, S. et al., 2017. System design of the small lunar lander SLIM. Presented at the 17th Space Science Symposium, January 2017. Presentation P-073.
Sakai, S., 2019. To the target location on the moon. Introduction of the small lunar lander “SLIM” project. JAXA/ISAS.
Phil
Delayed launch, which was scheduled today, for the "Spectroscopy and X-ray Imaging Satellite (XRISM)" and the "Small Lunar Lander Demonstration Vehicle (SLIM)" by H-IIA Launcher No. 47.
The reason for this deferral is not specified.
For the next attempt, and possibly others, the launch time will be set the day before... (Reminder: Launch window from August 27, 2023 to September 15, 2023
I heard the reason was bad weather.
Phil
Phil
Launch again postponed, wind speed too high.
SLIM must make the trip duo with XRISM
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Spa...n_set_to_launch
Let us hope that the weather will be favourable this time.
At three days the forecasts are very reliable. We are hopeful.
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Spa...n_set_to_launch
Let us hope that the weather will be favourable this time.
At three days the forecasts are very reliable. We are hopeful.
Successful launch and separation!
Now we will see if a Japanese name is given to the lander in place of its English language acronym. The Japanese custom has been to give a name after launch.
Phil
Phil
Is there any public timeline?
LOI? Landing?
I understand that it will be in the first months of 2024.
Thorsten
LOI? Landing?
I understand that it will be in the first months of 2024.
Thorsten
QUOTE (Thorsten Denk @ Sep 7 2023, 07:38 AM) 
Is there any public timeline?
LOI? Landing?
I understand that it will be in the first months of 2024.
Thorsten
LOI? Landing?
I understand that it will be in the first months of 2024.
Thorsten
Bonjour,
I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I confirm the moon landing should be done in early 2024. In the meantime, here are some short news from the probe :
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2023/09/20230914-1_e.html
We could narrow the landing to certain ranges of dates by looking at the date of sunrise at the landing site. SLIM uses image matching to track its location, so it needs to land in daylight and probably at least 2 days after sunrise to avoid the more extensive shadows.
Sunrise dates are 16 January and 15 February. Landings around 19 January or 18 February would seem likely.
Phil
Postscript on 5 October: 19 January is the intended date.
Sunrise dates are 16 January and 15 February. Landings around 19 January or 18 February would seem likely.
Phil
Postscript on 5 October: 19 January is the intended date.
https://twitter.com/SLIM_JAXA/status/1709943311770018108
Image of the Moon taken just before the flyby.
Click to view attachment
The translated text says the view is not possible from Earth, which is correct, but many media reports misinterpret that to mean the image shows the far side of the Moon. That's not true.
Phil
Image of the Moon taken just before the flyby.
Click to view attachment
The translated text says the view is not possible from Earth, which is correct, but many media reports misinterpret that to mean the image shows the far side of the Moon. That's not true.
Phil
In fact, the part of the Moon's far side that would be visible in the picture is on the right in the dark lunar night.
So only the near side can be seen, albeit from an unusual perspective.
Center (cut in half): Mare Tranquilitatis
Above: Mare Serenitatis
Top left: Mare Imbrium
Thorsten
So only the near side can be seen, albeit from an unusual perspective.
Center (cut in half): Mare Tranquilitatis
Above: Mare Serenitatis
Top left: Mare Imbrium
Thorsten
SLIM has a landing date and time!
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2023/12/20231205-1_e.html
This is Friday Jan 19 at 15:20 UTC
(if I calculated correctly
).
Thorsten
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2023/12/20231205-1_e.html
QUOTE
January 20, 2024 (Saturday)
About 12:00 am (JST) Starting descent toward the Moon
About 12:20 am (JST) Landing on the lunar surface
About 12:00 am (JST) Starting descent toward the Moon
About 12:20 am (JST) Landing on the lunar surface
This is Friday Jan 19 at 15:20 UTC
(if I calculated correctly
).Thorsten
This is a mosaic of the frames from the little video clip taken around the time of orbit insertion, showing Plato, Mare Frigoris and Anaxagoras. They are from a navigation camera so not very detailed.
Phil
Click to view attachment
Phil
Click to view attachment
https://twitter.com/SLIM_JAXA/status/1743212937714729320
SLIM has tested its multispectral camera by taking images from orbit. I don't have a location for the images yet.
Phil
SLIM has tested its multispectral camera by taking images from orbit. I don't have a location for the images yet.
Phil
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/1745862074922672342
SLIM landing date and time from Marcia Smith. If it lands successfully the Peregrine 1 impact will occur during SLIM surface operations.
Phil
SLIM landing date and time from Marcia Smith. If it lands successfully the Peregrine 1 impact will occur during SLIM surface operations.
Phil
SLIM dropped its apolune to enter a c. 600 km circular orbit on the 14th. Here is a mosaic of images from the navigation camera made at the time.
It's just on the far side with Compton near the top centre and Schwarzschild the largest crater in the lower part of the mosaic.
Click to view attachment
Phil
It's just on the far side with Compton near the top centre and Schwarzschild the largest crater in the lower part of the mosaic.
Click to view attachment
Phil
Live blog updates in English here. Landing expected at 1020 EST/1520 GMT.
De-orbit burn has started.
Looks like it landed per telemetry, awaiting confirmation.
IT seems to be landed and transmitting. IMU data on the screen is changing...
It's definitely alive on the Moon. Lots of "We are checking the status, please wait."
In the mean time the battery indicator suggests the battery is draining -- shouldn't it be charging if it landed in a correct orientation?
In the mean time the battery indicator suggests the battery is draining -- shouldn't it be charging if it landed in a correct orientation?
Live coverage ended, awaiting press conference. Yeah, I dunno...didn't get a happy feeling.
The (telemetry-driven?) sprite on the webcast seemed to flip over on landing, and there were noticeable deviations on the ωX/Y/Z °/s dials. Hope that's not real...
Audio-only on the JAXA feed right now in Japanese...essentially, they're 'still checking'.
As per here: <a href="https://eyes.nasa.gov/dsn/dsn.html" target="_blank">https://eyes.nasa.gov/dsn/dsn</a> There is definitely a signal from the lander, which at least rules out it having smacked into the regolith at tens of meters a second.
QUOTE (JTN @ Jan 19 2024, 03:37 PM)
The (telemetry-driven?) sprite on the webcast seemed to flip over on landing, and there were noticeable deviations on the ωX/Y/Z °/s dials.
This claims it was supposed to tip over.
We're also getting telemetry from one of the rovers.
https://twitter.com/amsatdl/status/1748374331715981601
The IMU data suggests it's in the incorrect post-tip-over orientation, with the engines pointing up. Not sure how reliable that is though.
https://twitter.com/amsatdl/status/1748374331715981601
QUOTE
This claims it was supposed to tip over.
The IMU data suggests it's in the incorrect post-tip-over orientation, with the engines pointing up. Not sure how reliable that is though.
While it looks like things have not gone flawlessly, JAXA has an at-least-partly-functional vehicle on the Lunar surface. So I think it's time to say 'well done JAXA and the SLIM team'. At lot of smart and determined folks have tried this and ended up as a crater to be imaged by LRO.
If the rovers were deployed before touchdown, as per the plan, they could still accomplish their mission (since they can communicate directly with Earth)? Images would be very enlightening.
Andrew Jones reports radio detection of... something
https://twitter.com/coastal8049/status/1748383389517004815
This feels like a Hayabusa-esque "Trying to fix an emergency in real time with scant data" situation. Fun!
QUOTE
Anomalous behaviour from the #SLIM lander ~16:32:00 UTC. Signal has returned to previous behaviour.
https://twitter.com/coastal8049/status/1748383389517004815
This feels like a Hayabusa-esque "Trying to fix an emergency in real time with scant data" situation. Fun!
They still had plenty of spare fuel at the time of touchdown. If it's on the wrong side, it may be possible to right it?
Maybe they are still able to correct the wrong attitude with the RCS thrusters?
That would be really daring...
Thorsten
That would be really daring...
Thorsten
That may have been what the change in Doppler behaviour of the SLIM signal suggests occurred.
Scott Tilley now reports:
No idea what this means, or even if it's bad news.
Press conference has started!
Edit: Nope! It was just an update to tell us that they'll start at 2:10 local (13 minutes from now).
Scott Tilley now reports:
QUOTE
The ranging tones from #SLIM have stopped and remained absent for a few minutes now.
No idea what this means, or even if it's bad news.
Press conference has started!
Edit: Nope! It was just an update to tell us that they'll start at 2:10 local (13 minutes from now).
News conference will start, and press release on JAXA web site, at 10mins past the current hour. ie. 02.10am in Japan Standard Time.
News conference at 1210 EST/1710 GMT!
"it seems that solar cell is not generating electricity"
Conference underway. Thus far:
1. Landed successfully.
2. Power-negative; battery not charging (as Hungry noticed.)
3. At least one of the little rovers landed successfully as well.
1. Landed successfully.
2. Power-negative; battery not charging (as Hungry noticed.)
3. At least one of the little rovers landed successfully as well.
Press release (Japanese). Machine translation:
QUOTE
Results of the Small Lunar Demonstrator (SLIM) Moon Landing
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the Small Lunar Module (SLIM) landed on the Moon at 0:20 am on 20 January 2024 (Japan Standard Time). Communications have been established since landing.
However, the solar cells are not generating power, and priority is currently being given to data acquisition from the Moon's surface.
Detailed analysis of the acquired data will be carried out in the future. We will keep you updated on the future status of the project.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the Small Lunar Module (SLIM) landed on the Moon at 0:20 am on 20 January 2024 (Japan Standard Time). Communications have been established since landing.
However, the solar cells are not generating power, and priority is currently being given to data acquisition from the Moon's surface.
Detailed analysis of the acquired data will be carried out in the future. We will keep you updated on the future status of the project.
Looks like the LEV 1 and LEV 2 are both working, they are getting images back now.....
From press conference, there is hope that even once the battery is depleted (in several hours), as the sun angle changes, the solar panels may start producing power and revive the lander. In the meantime they're prioritising getting data back over recovery operations.
(However, a couple of posts (1, 2) claim a heater has been turned off to conserve battery power -- I didn't catch this myself -- dunno what this means for the longevity of the lander.)
(However, a couple of posts (1, 2) claim a heater has been turned off to conserve battery power -- I didn't catch this myself -- dunno what this means for the longevity of the lander.)
I heard the comment about the battery as well. They seemed to imply that its what would allow the battery to last for "several hours."
Someone finally asked a decent question. Is there no power being generated by the solar panels? Or just an inadequate amount to keep up with the battery discharge? Answer was that they don't yet know, pending data.
Someone finally asked a decent question. Is there no power being generated by the solar panels? Or just an inadequate amount to keep up with the battery discharge? Answer was that they don't yet know, pending data.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.