From late at night on January 19, 2024 to early in the morning on January 20, 2024 (JST), the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM, a small lunar landing demonstration vehicle), is expected to land on the Moon. In addition, the LEV-1 and LEV-2 astronomical observation vehicles being taken to the Moon on board SLIM are also expected to begin operating at this time.
Professor Tetsuo Yoshimitsu of JAXA’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), lead investigator on the Moonshot Project, has been involved with the development and operation of SLIM, while LEV-1 was developed by Professor Yoshimitsu together with this project’s manager Yasuharu Kunii, along with another lead investigator, Associate Professor Takao Maeda of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
LEV-1 will be deployed and separated from SLIM just before SLIM lands on the lunar surface. The LEV-1 vehicle, weighing around 2 kilograms, will fulfill its mission of traversing the lunar surface while jumping, along with filming and observing the lunar surface, recording the SLIM lander, and sending data directly back to Earth. It will also serve as a relay to communicate observation and operating data from LEV-2 (Takara Tomy, JAXA), which will also be deployed from SLIM.
For details about SLIM’s landing on the Moon, check “Moon Landing of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon” (SLIM) (December 5, 2023) on JAXA’s official website.
The landing will mark a shift from the era of “landing where we can” to “landing where we want.” Godspeed for your pinpoint landing, SLIM! And go for it, LEV-1 and LEV-2!