Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Hindu
The Hindu
Technology
Reuters

Japan starts precision landing of 'moon sniper' SLIM spacecraft

Japan gave the green light for its spacecraft to make a "precision" landing on the Moon on Friday, its bid to become the world's fifth country to achieve a moonshot and revitalise a space programme that has suffered a wave of recent setbacks.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) was en route to 15 km (9 miles) above the Moon's surface, where it will start an autonomous 20-minute descent from midnight on Saturday (1500 GMT Friday).

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.