New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his Japanese Counterpart Fumio Kishida on January 20 for the first soft Moon landing of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi further said that the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) looks forward to cooperating with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in space exploration.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on January 20 confirmed that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) successfully landed on the moon surface on January 20, 2024, at 0:20 am (JST).
On January 20, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said that communication with spacecraft has been established after the landing.
"However, the solar cells are currently not generating power, and priority is given to data acquisition from the SLIM on the moon. Detailed analysis of the acquired data will be conducted in the future, and we will continue to share any updates on the situation", the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said in its press release.
Extending congratulation to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrote on X on January 20:
"It is very welcome news that the small lunar landing demonstration vehicle "Slim" (@SLIM_JAXA) has successfully landed on the moon, although detailed analysis is required as the solar cells are not generating electricity. We would like to express our respect to everyone involved for their efforts thus far, and we will continue to support them as they take on further challenges."
Prime Minister Modi extended congratulation and posted on X:
"Congratulations Prime Minister @Kishida230 and everyone at JAXA on achieving Japan’s first soft Moon landing. India looks forward to our cooperation in space exploration between @isro and JAXA."
The ISRO signed an Implementation Arrangement (IA) in December 2017 for pre-phase A, phase A study and completed the feasibility report in March 2018 with JAXA to explore the polar regions of Moon for water with a joint Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX) that would be launched no earlier than 2026.
