Japanese spacecraft enters orbit of Moon

The Japanese lunar lander SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) has been successfully launched into the Moon's orbit and will now prepare for the upcoming landing on the Earth's natural satellite, Azernews reports, citing the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

"The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is pleased to announce that the Lunar Exploration lander (SLIM) has been successfully launched into lunar orbit," the statement said.

Landing on the surface of the Earth's natural satellite is planned for mid-January next year.

The first Japanese lunar lander SLIM was launched on September 7 using the H-IIA launch vehicle from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) along with the XRISM X-ray telescope (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission), designed to explore space using X-ray imaging and spectroscopy.