SLIM: Small explorer for technology demonstration of lunar pinpoint landing

SLIM (Small Lander for Investigating Moon) is a small spacecraft launched by the Epsilon rocket for demonstration of lunar pinpoint landing technology. SLIM aims at achieving accurate navigation to a specific landing point on the moon. Various researches concerning the pinpoint landing technology, which are for example image-based navigation, landing shock absorbers, navigation control algorithms, landing radar, and the advanced propulsion system, are intensively performed by the WG members containing university people. Also SLIM is an extremely light-weight spacecraft, so a lot of innovative technology for reducing the bus weight is applied. In this paper, mission sequence, spacecraft design, and demonstrated technology of SLIM are overviewed.