Japan's Lunar Spacecraft Is on the Moon, but Status Unclear

Staff of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency watch a live streaming of the pinpoint moon landing operation by the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft at JAXA's Sagamihara Campus, Jan. 20, 2024, in Sagamihara near Tokyo.

Japan’s spacecraft arrived on the surface of the moon early Saturday, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the landing was a success, because the Japanese space agency said it was still “checking its status.”