but power issues are threatening to cut the mission short.
Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, known as SLIM, landed at 12:20 a.m. local time, but the probe's solar panels were not able to generate electricity.
That's according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency - or JAXA.
Hitoshi Kuninaka is the head of the agency's research center:
"And since we are not able to generate electricity, the operation is being done using battery on low."
Kuninaka said the lander's solar panels might be at the wrong angle, but JAXA is hoping a shift in sunlight can help restore its functions.
That takes 30 days on the moon, Kuninaka said.
Dubbed the "moon sniper," SLIM attempted to land within 100 meters, or 328 feet, of its target versus the conventional accuracy of several kilometers.
JAXA says the technology will become a powerful tool in future exploration of hilly moon poles seen as a potential source of oxygen, fuel and water.
It will take up to a month to verify whether SLIM achieved its high-precision goals, JAXA said.
Japan is increasingly looking to play a bigger role in space exploration, partnering with the U.S. to counter China.
The country is home to several private-sector space startups and JAXA aims to send an astronaut to the moon with NASA's Artemis program in the next few years.
But there have been recent setbacks in rocket development... including the launch failure of its new flagship H3 rocket last March.
Only four nations - the former Soviet Union, the U.S., China and recently India - and no private company - have achieved a soft landing on the moon's surface.
