Category: World News

Japan’s Moon Sniper robotic explorer has landed on the lunar surface, but the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is still determining its condition. The uncrewed Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission landed on Friday, January 19, JAXA is currently assessing its status for future updates.

If successful, Japan would be the third country this century and the fifth ever to achieve a safe lunar landing. SLIM, nicknamed Moon Sniper, demonstrated precision technology for a pinpoint landing on a 100-meter landing site using its “smart eyes” image-matching navigation.

The landing site is near the Shioli crater in the Sea of Nectar, south of the Sea of Tranquility where Apollo 11 landed. The mission aims to study rocks for insights into the moon’s origin, examining debris created by meteorites and other impacts.

Despite the hazardous nature of landing near rocky, sloped areas, JAXA is confident in the lander’s technology. The lunar space race has seen attempts and outcomes from various countries, with India achieving a controlled landing, while others faced failures.

The motivation behind lunar exploration includes accessing water in permanently shadowed regions for future human space exploration needs. If successful, the lightweight SLIM lander could serve as an effective design for small-scale lunar and planetary landings, including Mars, according to JAXA.

In 1958, amidst the 48-state America, Bob Heft, a high schooler inspired by Betsy Ross, took on a class project to redesign the U.S. flag in anticipation of Alaska and Hawaii joining the Union. Despite his meticulous layout of 50 stars, his teacher dismissed it with a B minus, claiming Heft was clueless about the current number of states.

Undeterred, Heft saw an opportunity. Determined to prove the worth of his design, he embarked on a two-year journey, lobbying Washington and even enlisting the support of his state representative. His persistence paid off when President Eisenhower selected his 50-star flag out of a thousand submissions. On July 4th, 1960, Heft witnessed his school project transform into the official American flag at the White House. In 2007, it became the longest-running U.S. flag, and yes, his grade was finally upgraded to an A.

Not one to rest, Heft looked ahead and crafted a 51-star design, just in case Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico attained statehood. Though he passed away in 2009, his legacy remains. So if D.C. or Puerto Rico becomes a state, Heft’s foresight might yet again reshape the stars and stripes!

Elizabeth Norman, a 10-year-old space enthusiast from Leicester, England, secured a spot on the recent US commercial lunar launch by catching the attention of United Launch Alliance (ULA) with her backyard rocket launch. The Vulcan Centaur rocket, carrying the Peregrine lunar lander, successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, with Elizabeth and her family watching the live countdown.

The primary payload of the mission is the Peregrine lunar lander, developed by Astrobotic. Elizabeth’s contribution, part of the first-ever lunar time capsule, includes a sticker with ‘Astro Liz,’ her blog and social media pages’ name, and a message for her brother. However, an unexpected post-launch challenge may affect the lander’s ability to land on the moon, and the team is investigating.

Elizabeth’s passion for space ignited after watching NASA’s Perseverance Rover’s flight to Mars in July 2020. She immersed herself in space knowledge, started a science-themed YouTube channel, and created a model of the ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, impressing ULA’s CEO Tory Bruno. His admiration led to Elizabeth becoming part of the real lunar launch.

The Norman family expresses gratitude to Astrobotic for making Elizabeth’s space dream a reality, seeing it as an opportunity to inspire other young individuals to pursue space exploration. Elizabeth, known as Astro Liz, celebrates the mission’s success and expresses her support for Peregrine from her hometown.

Cape Verde has become the first sub-Saharan African country to eliminate malaria in 50 years, going three consecutive years without a transmission case.

The achievement is attributed to measures such as providing free malaria diagnoses to travelers, active mosquito control, and improved testing and treatment standards. The island nation’s geography also contributes to the sustainability of this success.

Cape Verde’s Health Minister, Dr. Filomena Gonçalves, acknowledges the collaborative efforts of health professionals, collaborators, communities, and international partners. Mauritius was the last African nation to eliminate malaria in 1973.