Japan's SLIM lunar lander has regained power

Japan's Smart Lunar Exploration Lander (SLIM) spacecraft landed on the moon's surface more than a week ago. The main goal of his mission was to demonstrate the possibility of precise landings on the Silver Globe, but it was not without problems. During its descent, the rover twisted in a way that prevented it from using its solar panels to conserve energy. The Japan Aeronautics and Space Administration (JAXA) has temporarily put the equipment into sleep mode, hoping to “wake it up” when sunlight starts hitting the moon from the other side.

As the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency reported on social media, communication with the device was restored late Sunday. It is possible that the probe was able to generate energy by changing the direction of sunlight. SLIM has resumed analyzing the composition of lunar olivine-bearing rocks using a multi-band spectroscopic camera. This study aims to help answer questions about the origin of the Moon.

However, there may be little time to work. While JAXA engineers did not provide a specific end date for the SLIM mission to the moon, they have previously said that the lander was not designed to survive the lunar night, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday.

The main goal of the SLIM mission was to test precise landing technology on the lunar surface based on the analysis of visual data. For this reason, the equipment was called the “Moon Sniper”. The device fell 55 meters from the chosen target on rough, sloping terrain. As the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency explains, this technology could play an important role in future exploration of the moon's poles, which may harbor water ice nearby.