Japan Moon Lander Enters Lunar Orbit

If the 'SLIM' lander touches down successfully next month, it would make Japan only the fifth country to have landed a functioning probe on the Moon, after the United States, Russia, China and India (Credit: AFP)

Japan's SLIM space probe entered the Moon's orbit on Monday in a major step towards the country's first successful lunar landing, expected next month.

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is nicknamed the "Moon Sniper" because it is designed to land within 100 metres (328 feet) of a specific target on the lunar surface.