TOKYO: Japan’s resilient Moon lander has once again been temporarily deactivated after surviving its second frigid lunar night, the space agency announced Monday.
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), affectionately known as the “Moon Sniper” for its pinpoint landing accuracy, achieved a historic soft lunar landing in January, elevating Japan to the ranks of only five nations to accomplish this feat.
However, upon touchdown, the unmanned spacecraft landed at an unexpected angle, causing its solar panels to face the wrong direction.
Despite initial concerns, the probe was revived in late February following the conclusion of the approximately 14-day lunar night, where temperatures plummet to as low as -130 degrees Celsius (-200 degrees Fahrenheit). Remarkably, it withstood these extreme conditions once again last week and transmitted fresh imagery back to Earth.
On Monday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the probe had been safely placed into hibernation mode once more on Sunday.
“During this operation, we primarily assessed the condition of various components by activating switches and conducting stress tests,” JAXA announced on the social media platform X.
“While there are some issues with certain functions of the Multi-band Camera (MBC), it remains operational, prompting us to meticulously monitor its status,” the statement continued, referring to the camera used for examining lunar rocks.
Scientists believe that certain types of rocks found near lunar craters may contain material from the Moon’s mantle, offering valuable insights into its formation process.
