After a two-week lunar night, Japan’s Moon Lander has given another surprise, the nation’s space agency announced on Monday.
Last month, the robotic Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) descended at an odd angle, causing its solar panels to face the wrong direction.
It was brought back to life for two days as the sun’s angle changed, allowing scientists to use a high-spec camera to take scientific observations of a crater, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
It went to sleep again as darkness returned and, since it was “not designed for the harsh lunar nights”, JAXA had been uncertain whether it would reawaken.
“Yesterday we sent a command, to which SLIM responded,” JAXA said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.
“SLIM succeeded in surviving a night on the Moon’s surface while maintaining its communication function!”
The statement stated that because of the high temperature of the communication equipment and the fact that it was still lunar midday, communications were “terminated after a short time.”
However, it stated: “Preparations are being made to resume operations when instrument temperatures have sufficiently cooled.”
On January 20, SLIM, also known as the “Moon Sniper” due to its precise landing technology, landed inside its designated landing zone.
Japan became the fifth country to accomplish a “soft landing” on the Moon, following the US, the USSR, China, and India. The achievement was a victory for the country’s space program following a run of recent setbacks.
But during its descent, the craft suffered engine problems and ended up on its side, meaning the solar panels were facing west instead of up.
The latest news comes after JAXA toasted a successful blast-off for its new flagship H3 rocket on February 17, making it third time lucky after years of delays and two previous failed attempts.
Countries including Russia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are also trying their luck to reach the Moon.
The first American spaceship to the Moon since the Apollo era — the uncrewed Odysseus lander built by a private company and funded by NASA — landed near the lunar south pole on Thursday.
However, even as ground controllers attempt to download data and surface photos from the US spacecraft, its manufacturer stated that it is most likely lying sideways after making its spectacular landing.
In an attempt to touch down on the moon last year, the private Japanese company ispace experienced a “hard landing” and lost contact.
Read More
Delhi: Noida Police Issue Traffic Advisory Ahead of BKU-SKM Tractor March
