Japan has successfully launched a lunar exploration mission Thursday, marking a significant step forward in the country's space program. This launch comes just weeks after India's lunar mission, as Japan aims to become the fifth nation to successfully land on the moon. The spacecraft, named Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), was launched on Japan's homegrown H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center.

If successful, Japan will join the ranks of the United States, Russia, China, and India in landing on the lunar surface. What sets Japan's mission apart is its focus on achieving a precision landing within 100 meters of a designated target on the moon. This advanced image-based navigation technique will pave the way for more precise landings and open the doors to exploring more resource-scarce planets in the future. The launch also carried the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) satellite, a joint project of JAXA, NASA, and the European Space Agency.

This high-resolution imaging tool will help scientists study stars, galaxies, and black holes, with the goal of better understanding the origins of the universe. Japan has faced setbacks in its space missions in the past, including failed attempts to reach the moon and issues with rocket launches. However, the successful launch of SLIM and XRISM demonstrates Japan's determination to advance its space exploration capabilities and carve out a prominent role in the global race to explore the moon and beyond.