Japan faces ‘20 minutes of terror’ as country prepares to land on the moon TODAY following doomed US Peregrine mission

JAPAN is set to attempt a moon landing today which, if successful, would be the nation’s first-ever step on the lunar surface.

The island-nation is scheduled to begin touchdown operations for its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) at 3pm GMT (10am ET) on 19 January.

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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is targeting a soft landing on the moon about 20 minutes after beginning touchdown operations, if all goes according to plan.

SLIM launched on September 6 last year, and has been swinging in the moon’s orbit since Christmas Day.

JAXA has taken a slow-and-steady approach to SLIM’s journey to the lunar surface, opting for the more energy-efficient path.

This choice likely comes as a relief to JAXA after watching the fate of the US’ Peregrine one moon lander unfold, after suffering a critical fuel leak just hours into its six-week journey.

Peregrine one, and all contents on-board, disintegrated on the spacecraft’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere last night.

The SLIM probe has spent three weeks in orbit preparing for landing – which comes to a head today.

JAXA plans to land SLIM roughly 100metres from the Shioli Crater, on the near side of the moon.

The nation’s goal with its first moon landing is to demonstrate it has the technology necessary to make such precise touchdowns.

Success would make Japan the fifth country to successful land on the moon, following the Soviet Union, the US, China and India.

This won’t be Japan’s first attempt.

In November, the country attempted a lunar touchdown with its OMOTENASHI lander, as part of Nasa’s uncrewed Artemis one mission.

However, the mini probe failed to reach its destination.

Then in April last year, Japan’s ambitions of becoming the first country to commercially land on the moon were scuppered after contact was lost with the spacecraft.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk