Japan's SLIM lunar lander resumed operations and photographed a nearby rock formation on January 28.
This photo was taken by the SLIM vessel after it resumed operations. Photo: JAXA
Following its landing on the Moon on January 20th, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced a problem with its photovoltaic cells, preventing the lander from generating electricity. However, JAXA successfully restored communication with the SLIM (Synthetic Lunar Lander), bringing the lander back into operation, according to an announcement on social media on January 29th. They immediately began scientific observations using the lander's multi-band spectroscopic camera. JAXA also shared a photo of a rock formation near the SLIM lander.
The SLIM mission made Japan the fifth nation to make a gentle landing on the Moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India. However, about three hours after landing, JAXA decided to shut down SLIM with its remaining 12% power to allow for reactivation when the Sun's angle changed. The lander reached its landing target 100 meters from the moon, touching down 55 meters away. This accuracy was far superior to the typical landing zones of several kilometers.
SLIM is heading toward a crater where the Moon's mantle (the layer deep beneath the crust) is thought to be exposed. Two probes successfully separated from SLIM, one carrying a transmitter and the other designed to roll across the lunar surface and transmit images back to Earth. This shape-shifting mini-rotor is slightly larger than a tennis ball.
Russia, South Korea, and the UAE are also seeking to land on the Moon. In January, the American company Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander suffered a fuel leak shortly after liftoff, causing the mission to fail. Authorities lost contact with the spacecraft in a remote area of the South Pacific , where it likely burned up in Earth's atmosphere. NASA also postponed plans to send humans to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.
An Khang (According to AFP )
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