The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is a Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission designed to demonstrate accurate lunar landing techniques by a small explorer, with the objective of accelerating the study of the Moon and planets using lighter exploration systems.

The techniques demonstrated by this mission will pave the way for future lunar sample return missions.

SLIM is an irregularly shaped cuboid 2.4 meters in height, 2.7 meters across, and 1.7 meters deep, with a dry mass of 190 kg and a fully loaded mass of 590 kg. The body is built around the propellant tank as the structural element. Power is provided by thin-film solar cells and lithium-ion batteries.

SLIM will carry a landing radar for the final descent and a multiband camera for mineralogical exploration of the surface, as well as a small laser retroreflector array.

The landing system uses a crushable aluminum foam base to absorb impact. The propulsion system comprises two 500 N ceramic engines for orbit maneuvers and twelve 22 N thrusters for attitude control. All engines and thrusters use hydrazine (N2H4)/ nitrogen tetroxide (NTO - MON-3) bipropellant, stored in a common tank separated by a bulkhead.

Credit: NASA

A new satellite called XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, pronounced “crism”) aims to pry apart high-energy light into the equivalent of an X-ray rainbow. The mission, led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), will do this using an instrument called Resolve.

Resolve is an X-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer instrument collaboration between NASA and JAXA. It measures tiny temperature changes created when an X-ray hits its 6-by-6-pixel detector. To measure that minuscule increase and determine the X-ray’s energy, the detector needs to cool down to around minus 460 Fahrenheit (minus 270 Celsius), just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero.

The instrument reaches its operating temperature after a multistage mechanical cooling process inside a refrigerator-sized container of liquid helium.

By collecting thousands or even millions of X-rays from a cosmic source, Resolve can measure the high-resolution spectra of the object. Spectra are measurements of light’s intensity over a range of energies. Prisms spread visible light into their different energies, which we know better as the colors of the rainbow.

Scientists used prisms in early spectrometers to look for spectral lines, which occur when atoms or molecules absorb or emit energy.

Now astronomers use spectrometers, tuned to all kinds of light, to learn about cosmic objects’ physical states, motions, and compositions. Resolve will do spectroscopy for X-rays with energies ranging from 400 to 12,000 electron volts by measuring the energies of individual X-rays to form a spectrum. (For comparison, visible light energies range from about 2 to 3 electron volts.)

The mission’s other instrument, developed by JAXA, is called Xtend. It will give XRISM one of the largest fields of view of any X-ray imaging satellite flown to date, observing an area about 60% larger than the average apparent size of the full Moon.

Resolve and Xtend rely on two identical X-ray Mirror Assemblies developed at Goddard.

XRISM is a collaborative mission between JAXA and NASA, with participation by ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s contribution includes science participation from the Canadian Space Agency.

Credit: NASA

The H-IIA Launch Vehicle is a high-performance rocket consisted from a First stage, Second stage, fairing, one or two pairs of Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB-As). The propulsion system runs on liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Two models are produced, the standard type H2A202 with two SRB-A's and the H2A204 type with four SRB-A's attached.

The First stage of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle consists of a high-performance LE-7A engine, an engine section, a propulsion system tank charged with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, a center section connecting the tanks, and an interstage section mating the First and Second stages. A Solid Rocket Booster (SRB-A) has also been newly developed to boost the thrust from the main engine. Two or four SRB-A's installed on the H-IIA Launch Vehicle are attached to the First stage.

The Second stage consists of a highly reliable LE-5B engine, a propulsion system tank charged with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, on-board electronic devices, etc. As a key feature for launch mission support, the LE-5B engine can be ignited up to three times.

Credit: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

LA-Y1

Launch Area - Yoshinobu Launch Complex 1 (LA-Y1 for short) is part of a two-launch-pad area of the Tanegashima Space Center used for the H-II family of rockets.

The pad is located just 190 meters (624 ft) from neighboring pad LA-Y2.

The overall two-pad Yoshinobu Launch Complex is the northernmost launch site of the Tanegashima Space Center.

Rockets are assembled and processed vertically in the vehicle assembly building before technicians roll them out to the launch pad, a journey of 365 meters.

LA-Y1 hosted its first launch in February 1994 and has been active ever since.

Tanegashima Space Center

The Tanegashima Space Center is Japan's largest launch center and gets its name from the island Tanegashima it is located on.

Located in southern Japan, it is part of the overall Range, which handles Japan’s orbital launches.

The center opened for operations in October 1969 as part of the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). It is now owned by JAXA.

Tanegashima includes the Yoshinobu Launch Complex for the H-IIA and H-IIB rockets, a Vehicle Assembly Building, a Spacecraft Test and Assembly Building, and the Takesaki Range Control Center.

Image: Wikipedia