ANKARA: Japan has successfully landed a lunar probe on the moon, the country’s space agency said on Saturday.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) successfully landed on the moon’s surface on Jan 20, 2024, at 0: 20 a.m. (local time), Anadolu Agency reported.

“Communication with spacecraft has been established after the landing,“ it said.

However, the agency added that 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,“ it said.

According to Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Japan became the fifth country to achieve the feat, after the former Soviet Union, the United States, China and India.–Bernama-AA