Japan’s lunar lander has reacted to a signal from Earth, indicating its survival through the two-week lunar night, according to the country’s space agency.
The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim) landed at an uneven angle, causing its solar panels to face in the wrong direction, last month. However, as the sun’s angle shifted, it successfully powered up for two days and conducted scientific observations of a crater using a high-spec camera.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) stated that the lander entered a dormant state again as darkness enveloped the lunar surface. Given that it was “not engineered for the challenging lunar nights,” there is uncertainty surrounding whether it will awaken once more.
JAXA stated that a command was sent by then to which Slim responded, on Monday. “Slim succeeded in surviving a night on the moon’s surface while maintaining its communication function.”
JAXA reported that communication with Slim was halted shortly after due to the high temperature of the communication equipment, caused by the ongoing lunar midday. Efforts are underway to resume operations once the instrument temperatures have sufficiently cooled.
Slim, affectionately dubbed the “Moon Sniper” for its precision landing technology, successfully landed within its designated landing zone on January 20th.
This achievement marked a significant success for Japan’s space program following a series of recent setbacks, solidifying the country as the fifth to accomplish a “soft landing” on the moon, joining the ranks of the US, Soviet Union, China, and India.
During its descent, the craft encountered engine issues, resulting in a sideways landing with the solar panels facing west instead of upright.
JAXA celebrated the successful launch of its H3 rocket on February 17th, marking a third attempt that proved successful after years of delays and two previous failed launches.
Other countries, including Russia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, are also actively pursuing missions to reach the moon.
Meanwhile, the first US spacecraft to journey to the moon since the Apollo era, the unmanned Odysseus lander constructed by a private company and funded by NASA, touched down near the lunar south pole on Thursday. The craft’s manufacturer indicated that it likely landed sideways during the dramatic descent, as ground controllers endeavor to download data and surface photos from the mission.
The private Japanese firm Ispace attempted to land on the moon the previous year but encountered a “hard landing,” resulting in lost contact with the probe.