Japan wants to go to the moon in 2019 with an unmanned vehicle

While most space agencies have shifted their focus to Mars, Japan is coming up with plans to visit the moon again. An unmanned vehicle is due to land in 2019, making Japan the fourth country with such an achievement if successful.

The Japanese edition of The Wall Street Journal notification of plans for the unmanned lunar mission. Preparations for space travel should start next year, although the launch is not expected until 2019. The main purpose of the plans seems to be prestige: a Japanese government-appointed commission for space affairs argues that the moon landing should put Japan back on the map when it comes to exploring the universe.

For example, the Japanese space agency wants to impress with a new lunar lander that must be able to place itself on the surface with great precision. The technology developed by the Japanese should make it possible to land within 100 meters of the planned spot, something that other lunar landers have not been able to achieve. In order to land with great precision, special scanners have been developed that accurately measure the lunar surface. Based on these measurements, course changes can be initiated upon landing.

The Japanese government wants to use the coming period to get feedback from the population about the proposed moon landing. The precise plans must be laid down within a year’s time.