# Japan has Made it to the Moon

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-has-made-it-to-the-moon/996342>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 19, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-has-made-it-to-the-moon/996342 "2024-01-19T17:22:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-has-made-it-to-the-moon/996342/1 "2024-01-19T17:22:14Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> # Japan Space Agency Says Its Spacecraft Has Touched Down On Moon
> 
> If SLIM landed successfully, Japan would become the fifth country to accomplish the feat after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India.
> 
> Jan 19, 2024, 10:54 AM EST
> 
> TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s space agency said early Saturday that its spacecraft is on the moon, but is still “checking its status.” More details will be given at a news conference, officials said.
> 
> The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, came down onto the lunar surface at around 12:20 a.m. Tokyo time Saturday (1520 GMT Friday). No astronauts were onboard the spacecraft.

> **[Japan Space Agency Says Its Spacecraft Has Touched Down On Moon](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/japan-space-agency-says-its-spacecraft-is-on-the-moon-but-still-checking-its-status_n_65aa9873e4b041f1ce65cb81)**
>
> If SLIM landed successfully, Japan would become the fifth country to accomplish the feat after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India.

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-has-made-it-to-the-moon/996342/2 "2024-01-19T17:32:05Z")

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Listening to press conference now – LEV 1 and 2 separated OK, and getting data from main unit, but no power from solar panels. (no cite)

Brian

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**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-has-made-it-to-the-moon/996342/3 "2024-01-19T17:32:34Z")

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Cool!

Technically, they’ve delivered spacecraft to the moon twice already, but only in the form of planned crashes by orbiting probes.