- Japan attempts a pioneering “pinpoint” moon landing on January 20th.
- India outlined crewed spaceflight by 2025 and a moon landing by 2040 after the recent Chandrayaan-3 mission.
- Asian players utilize partnerships and specialized technology, like packing many things into a tiny space.
Many Asian countries, including Japan, India, and China, have major space missions and technological milestones for 2024 and beyond.
Japan’s lunar ambition
Japan attempts the first ever “pinpoint” moon landing on January 20th with its SLIM lunar lander targeting an area 100 meters wide. The feat could enable future joint India-Japan moon exploration and support a Toyota Mitsubishi pressurized moon rover later this decade.
India’s play
India recently outlined plans for a crewed spaceflight by 2025 and a moon landing by 2040.
On the heels of its Chandrayaan-3 mission last August, India aims to ramp up lunar operations in the years ahead. Experts believe India may soon rival Japan, given rapid private space industry growth.
China’s ambition and collaborative efforts
China also plots reusable methane rockets in 2025 and talks of a crewed moon landing by 2030 – directly competing with the technology path blazed by SpaceX and Elon Musk over the past decade.
However, Asian players often utilize partnerships and specialized technological contributions rather than immense financial resources. “We don’t have huge resources.
But we are good at packing many things into a tiny space,” explained Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ CEO.
