Space News ,Japan :- In a historic achievement on January 19, Japan successfully landed its pioneering spacecraft, SLIM ("Smart Lander for Investigating Moon"), marking the nation's entry into the lunar exploration arena as the fifth country to achieve a moon landing.
However, the mission faced an unexpected setback as SLIM's solar panels failed to generate electricity on the lunar surface. This development raised concerns about the lander's future, according to officials from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The situation remained uncertain until early Monday morning (January 21) when JAXA provided a positive update. Contrary to initial fears, SLIM has not been declared non-operational, and efforts are underway to potentially recover the spacecraft. The intentional power-down occurred when SLIM's battery capacity dropped to 12% on the lunar surface, preventing over-discharge and preserving the possibility of a recovery operation.
Team members explained that SLIM's solar cells are currently facing west, and there is optimism that exposure to sunlight from the west could lead to power generation. The team is actively preparing for a recovery operation, emphasizing that SLIM can function solely on power generated by its solar cells.
Despite the challenges, SLIM successfully transmitted technical data and images collected during its descent and landing on Friday. The team plans to provide a comprehensive status update and share data analysis results at the end of the week.
SLIM, also known as the "Moon Sniper," serves as a technology demonstrator for super-precise lunar landings. Its mission includes landing within 330 feet (100 meters) of a designated spot on the rim of the moon's Shioli Crater. The probe was launched in September 2023 alongside the XRISM X-ray space telescope, which recently sent back its initial test images from low Earth orbit.
While JAXA has not disclosed whether SLIM hit its landing target, the upcoming update is expected to provide more details. SLIM also carried two mini-rovers, LEV-1 ("Lunar Excursion Vehicle" 1) and LEV-2, both of which successfully deployed as planned. LEV-1 was confirmed to be operational on the lunar surface shortly after the landing.
Japan's SLIM mission adds to the achievements of other nations that have soft-landed spacecraft on the moon, including the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War space race, China in 2013, and India with its Chandrayaan-3 mission in August 2023.
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