After eight attempts, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter finally hit its mark by shooting a laser at Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), bouncing off a tiny dome-shaped device called a Laser Retroreflector Array. This device reflects light, revealing its location with high accuracy.
The goal is to guide future Artemis astronauts in the dark or locate existing spacecraft on the lunar surface. The best part? It works without power, lasting for decades. SLIM landed with its top facing sideways, limiting LRO’s range, but even if it had landed perfectly, the shot was still challenging due to the orbiter’s laser altimeter being designed for mapping the Moon’s topography.
“This was an important accomplishment for NASA because the device is not in an optimal position,” said NASA. “LRO’s altimeter wasn’t built for this type of application, so the chances of pinpointing a tiny retroreflector on the Moon’s surface are already low.”
The success comes after LRO successfully bounced a laser off India’s Vikram lander in December, and hitting its target three more times since then.
Source: https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-spacecraft-shoots-japanese-moon-lander-laser