Japan’s Moon Lander Makes Historic Touchdown, Ends Up on Its Nose
In a historic moment for Japan’s space exploration program, the country’s Moon lander, Slim (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon), made a touchdown on the lunar surface. However, the landing did not go as planned, as the spacecraft ended up on its nose instead of resting in the correct position. The first image of the stricken lander, captured by the small robot Sora-Q, revealed that it had rotated 90 degrees from its intended orientation. This unexpected outcome has posed challenges for the lander in generating the necessary electricity to operate.
According to the Japanese space agency Jaxa, an abnormality in the main engine of Slim affected its landing attitude. It appears that one of the two large thrusters on the spacecraft malfunctioned during the descent. This setback led to difficulties in generating power and operating the lander effectively. To transmit the image of the stricken lander back to Earth, Sora-Q had to relay it to another ejected robot called Lunar Excursion Vehicle 1 (Lev-1), which had independent communication equipment with mission control.
Despite the initial setback, Jaxa officials remain hopeful that sunlight can save the stricken Moon lander. The main issue preventing the solar cells from functioning is believed to be the orientation of Slim itself. The plan is to wait for changes in lighting angles at the landing site that would allow the solar cells to receive sunlight. In the meantime, Slim was shut down three hours after arrival to conserve battery power.
Before entering hibernation mode, controllers managed to retrieve a series of pictures taken by Slim’s onboard infrared camera. These images revealed that the lander had landed on a slope surrounded by small rocks. Slim’s landing location is at the edge of an equatorial crater known as Shioli. Despite the challenges faced during landing, Jaxa became the fifth national space agency to achieve a soft touchdown on the Moon, joining the ranks of the US, the former Soviet Union, China, and India.
The success of the landing can be attributed to Jaxa’s use of new precision-navigation technologies. The lander’s onboard computer utilized rapid image processing and crater mapping to avoid hazards and reach its targeted touchdown point. Engineers aimed to get within 100 meters of the intended location, and they successfully achieved this goal. Analysis of the data acquired before power shutdown confirmed that Slim had landed approximately 55 meters east of the original target site. Additionally, in the final moments of descent, the onboard computer made a decision to move the craft to one side to avoid obstacles, further demonstrating the effectiveness of the precision-navigation system.
While the unexpected orientation of Slim may have been a setback, the success of the two rovers, Sora-Q and Lev-1, brought some positive news. Sora-Q was able to move on the lunar surface and capture an image, while Lev-1 successfully hopped. Both rovers have also powered down for now. Jaxa considers these achievements as groundbreaking and valuable technology demonstrations for future lunar explorations. The knowledge and experience gained from this mission will be applied to upcoming missions.
The landing of Japan’s Moon lander, despite its unconventional orientation, marks a significant milestone for the country’s space exploration program. While challenges remain in generating electricity and operating the lander, Jaxa’s precision-navigation technologies have proven successful in achieving a soft touchdown on the lunar surface. As Japan continues to push boundaries in space exploration, the lessons learned from this mission will undoubtedly contribute to future lunar missions and pave the way for further scientific discoveries.
