At around 10:20 am ET this Friday, Japan became the fifth country to land on the Moon with the SLIM lunar lander, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced.
This achievement positions Japan as the fifth nation to make a lunar landing, following Russia (then the Soviet Union), the United States, China, and India, which accomplished this feat with its Chandrayaan-3 mission last year, Ednews informs.
The SLIM lander, launched in September, carries a variety of scientific instruments, including an analysis camera and two lunar rovers. Its primary objective is to conduct cargo research missions. JAXA engineers assessed the spacecraft's status post-landing to ensure its operational functionality.