Context:
Japan’s first moon mission SLIM spacecraft lands on moon.
SLIM Mission:
- Smart lander for investigation
- Japan – 5th country to reach the moon
- Light weight spacecraft – size of passenger vehicle
- Technology – “pinpoint landing” – i.e. land in area less than 100m.
- Developed by JAXA (Japan aerospace exploration agency)
- Nicknamed – the moon snippet
- Goal – focus on landing “where we want to rather than where it is easy”
- Aim – to land near the Shioli crater (region covered in volcanic rock)
- Launched on Mitsubishi Heavy H2A rocket
- Carries 2 small autonomous probes — lunar excursion vehicles LEV-1 and LEV-2
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in media?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space;
(b) A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.
(c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.
(d) A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same speed and places a probe on its surface.
Answer: (c)
