On January 19, 2024, Japan became the fifth country to ever soft-land on the Moon as the JAXA, or Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) landed on the lunar surface. Such acts would be recorded on NASA’s very own device five days later by NASA’s LRO, or Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. 

This SLIM device, also known as the Moon Sniper, established an immense achievement when touching down on the lunar surface of the moon; however, the entrance itself was not as rewarding. One of the main engines lost thrust, in which case it proceeded to turn and tumble in an upside-down position. This accident indicates the null-invoid use of the solar panel, as they will not be able to conduct electricity. The landing itself was extremely accurate, only 55 meters away from the determined target. Although the landing was not truly exceptional, Japan still established a new achievement, as did the countries of the U.S., U.S.S.R., China, and India. 

Such advancements in space technology began in the mid-twentieth century and have continued to be a race for such developing countries as they did within the following World War II and the Cold War. Such space races are a determinant of power for countries, allowing them to assert dominance within space and on Earth.