Japan launches its "Moon Sniper" as it hopes for a lunar landing

Japan's "Moon Sniper" mission blasted off Thursday as the country's space program looks to bounce back from a string of recent mishaps, weeks after India's historic lunar triumph.

Only the United States, Russia, China and as of last month India have successfully landed a probe on the Moon, with two failed Japanese missions — one public and one private.

Watched by 35,000 people online, the H-IIA rocket lifted off early Thursday from the southern island of Tanegashima carrying the lander, which is expected to touch down on the lunar surface in early 2024.