An H2-A rocket carrying a small lunar surface probe and other objects lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima island, Kagoshima prefecture on September 7.//AFP
Tokyo, Japan – Japan’s “Moon Sniper” mission blasted off Thursday as the country’s space programme looks to bounce back from a string of recent mishaps, weeks after India’s historic lunar triumph.
Only the United States, Russia, China and as of last month India have successfully landed a probe on the Moon, with two failed Japanese missions — one public and one private.
Watched by 35,000 people online, the H-IIA rocket lifted off early Thursday from the southern island of Tanegashima carrying the lander, which is expected to touch down on the lunar surface in early 2024.
To cheers and applause at mission control, the “SLIM” Moon probe and the XRISM space research satellite developed with…
