Japan launches new mission 'Moon Sniper' to reach the moon

Tokyo: Japan has embarked on its latest mission to become the fifth country to land on the moon with the launch of the "Moon Sniper" mission.

Using a domestically built rocket, the H-IIA, the Moon Sniper, and its Smart Lander Selene were sent soaring into space by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the launch had been postponed three times in the past month, but finally, the Japanese rocket took off from the Tanegashima Space Center.

Following India's lead, Japan is now prepared to send its own mission to the moon.

According to the space agency, next February, Japan's lunar mission Moon Sniper will attempt to land its Smart Lander within a 100-meter radius of a designated location on the moon's surface.

The mission aims to touch down near the small crater Shioli, located in the moon's equatorial region.

It's worth noting that Japan had previously made two unsuccessful attempts to land on the moon's surface last year.