"Japan's Moon Lander Overcomes Challenges to Achieve Historic Landing"
Japan's lunar lander, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), successfully achieved its primary goal of demonstrating high-precision landing technology despite an engine malfunction during its descent to the lunar surface. The spacecraft touched down safely but tipped over due to unbalanced thrust, leaving its solar cells unable to generate electricity. However, it managed to send back science and engineering data before being shut down, and officials are hopeful that it will "wake up" as the lunar day-night cycle proceeds. Despite the setback, Japan became the fifth nation to successfully land on the moon, following the United States, Russia, China, and India.
