Japan’s SLIM spacecraft, which experienced a power outage due to misaligned solar panels more than a week after its moon landing on January 20, has successfully regained power, announced the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on Monday.
Following a loss of contact, the lunar lander operated on its battery before seemingly shutting down. JAXA re-established communication with SLIM late on Sunday, speculating that a change in sunlight direction likely enabled the spacecraft to generate power once again.
JAXA stated that the probe regained power, possibly due to a shift in sunlight direction. Following this development, SLIM has recommenced its mission to analyze olivine rock composition on the lunar surface using its multi-band spectral camera. The agency aims to uncover insights into the moon’s origin through this exploration.
SLIM’s troublesome landing
On January 20, SLIM achieved a precise landing within 55 meters (180 feet) of its intended target in a crater near the lunar equator. JAXA highlighted this as a significant milestone in vision-based “pinpoint” landing technology, showcasing its potential as a valuable tool for future exploration of the moon’s hilly poles. These regions are considered promising sources of fuel, water, and oxygen for upcoming lunar missions.
The triumph of the SLIM mission solidified Japan’s position as the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon, joining the ranks of the United States, Russia, China, and India. Japan’s earlier attempt, the privately led Hakuto mission developed by Tokyo-based ispace, unfortunately ended in a crash on the lunar surface in April 2023. Similarly, Russia’s Luna-25, which was scheduled for a soft landing, encountered issues before entering a pre-landing orbit and ultimately collided with the lunar surface on August 29 of the previous year.
