Smart, the lander developed by the Aerospace Research Agency Japan (JAXA), will reach the moon on January 20, 2024, even though the arrival was scheduled for February. According to the organization, the date has been brought forward due to the good progress of the operations.

It is expected that Smart (Smart Lander for exploring the moon) Land on the rim of Theophilus Crater, located in the southern hemisphere of the visible side of the moon. The descent through Earth orbit will take 20 minutes and should achieve a precise landing with a margin of less than 100 meters.

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A statement from JAXA explained that “this is an unprecedented, high-precision landing on a gravitational body like the moon, and the results are expected to contribute to programs such as international space exploration that are currently being studied.”

However, the landing may fail and may not occur on January 20. In that case, the next opportunity will be February 16, 2024, around the same date as originally planned.

According to JAXA, the lander will meet two factors.

It will also test fundamental technology for research in low-gravity environments, a key requirement for future scientific exploration of the solar system. (JO)