Japans space agency has suspended the planned launch of an H2A rocket carrying a moon lander, which was supposed to take place on Monday, due to unfavourable weather conditions, according to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the operator of the launch, as per a report by the news agency NHK.The launch of an H2A rocket carrying the Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) probe was scheduled to take place on Monday morning at 9:26 AM from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japans Kagoshima prefecture. However, the launch was cancelled just 24 minutes before the planned launch time due to unsuitable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere, as reported by MHIs launch services unit.Terminal countdown work was underway for the launch of H-ⅡA Launch Vehicle No.47.However,Todays launch is canceled because it was confirmed that the upper wind dose not satisfy the constraints at launch. #H2AF47— MHI Launch Services (@MHI_LS) August 28, 2023MHI will provide further details about the updated launch time, the countrys space agency said in the planned livestream.Japans planned lunar mission to provide data to US-led Artemis programThe SLIM probe, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has a mission to explore moon rocks and demonstrate precise landing procedures. If the mission succeeds, Japan will become the fifth country in the world to achieve a successful lunar landing.The lunar landing data collected by the SLIM probe is expected to contribute to the US-led Artemis program, which aims to transport astronauts to the moon.The launch of the H2A rocket also included the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), a collaborative effort between JAXA, the US space agency NASA, and other organisations.The delay of the lunar landing mission comes shortly after India successfully landed the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the moons South Pole region on August 23, marking India as the fourth country – following the US, China, and the erstwhile Soviet Union – to successfully achieve a lunar landing.
