Japan praises SLIM probe's 'pinpoint' moon landing

STORY: "I believe that we have achieved something that no one has ever been able to do before, proving that you can get off where you want to get off, rather than just getting off where you can," project manager for the lander, Shinichiro Sakai, told a press conference.

The landing with an error of less than 100 meters (330 ft) by SLIM, dubbed the "moon sniper", outstrips the conventional accuracy figure of several kilometers for lunar landers.

Japan hopes the demonstration of what it called a "pinpoint" moon landing will revitalize a space program seeking to overcome setbacks as it moves to capture a bigger role in space by partnering with ally the United States to counter China.