A full moon, known as a "supermoon", rises over downtown Tokyo July 13, 2014. The astronomical event occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, making it appear much larger and brighter than usual.
A full moon, known as a "supermoon", rises over downtown Tokyo July 13, 2014. The astronomical event occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, making it appear much larger and brighter than usual. REUTERS/

Japan plans to join the few number of nations that has sent men or spacecraft to the moon by deploying an unmanned spacecraft in 2018. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, disclosed the ambitious plan to an expert panel on Monday.

CNN reports that members of the panel include cabinet ministers and the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry. It plans to use the Epsilon solid-fuel rocket technology that would send a probe called SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon.

Presenting the plan before the experts was just the first step. The JAXA spokesman said that more procedures would take place before the plan gets formal approval.

Among the targets of the moon mission is to perfect its soft-landing technology that would be used for future manned expeditions to the moon or even the red planet. To recognise the moon’s craters, the lander will utilise face recognition software that digital cameras use, said JAXA spokesman Chihito Onda.

He added that the cost to deploy the lander to the moon is between $83.4 million and $125 million or 10 billion and 15 billion yen.

The farthest that JAXA has reached is orbit the moon in 2008 using the SELENE craft. The mission gathered data about the lunar surface. The information, in turn, would be used by the agency to calculate a suitable landing site in 2018.

If plans push through and succeed, Japan would be the fourth nation to land a craft in the moon, after the US, the former Soviet Union and China.

India has orbited Mars. Japan aimed to reach Mars in 1998, but because of technical glitches, abandoned the attempt in 2003, according to Newsmax.

To contact the writer, email: v.hernandez@ibtimes.com.au

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