Tokyo | Japan's space agency said early Saturday that its unmanned spacecraft is on the moon, but is still "checking its status." More details will be given at a news conference that is expected shortly.

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, came down onto the lunar surface at around 12:20 am Tokyo time (1520 GMT).

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, is a lightweight spacecraft about the size of a passenger vehicle. It's using “pinpoint landing” technology that promises far greater control than any previous moon landing.

While most previous probes have used landing zones about 10 km (six miles) wide, SLIM is aiming at a target of just 100 metre (330 feet).