Japanese Moon Lander SLIM Goes Dormant, Controllers Hope for Operation Restart in Late March
In a bittersweet turn of events, the Japanese moon lander, SLIM, has gone dormant once again. As the sun ceased to shine above SLIM on Thursday (Feb. 29), officials from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) bid farewell to their lunar explorer. SLIM, short for “Smart Lander for Investigating Moon,” landed upside down on the moon on Jan. 19, causing its solar panels to be crooked. However, despite this setback, the panels can still receive a small amount of power.
JAXA announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that SLIM plans to attempt operation again the next time the sun shines, which is expected to be in late March. Although the repeated severe temperature cycles increase the probability of failure, the team remains hopeful for a successful restart.
The lander experienced a brief awakening on Feb. 26 during scorching temperatures of 212 Fahrenheit (100 Celsius) in its region. Since then, it has intermittently made contact with Earth. However, during its most recent attempt at scientific observation using its multiband spectroscopic camera (MBC), SLIM encountered some difficulties. JAXA officials reported that the camera did not work properly, attributing the issue to the effects of the frigid lunar night that SLIM endured before the sun reappeared near Shioli crater. Despite this setback, the team remains determined to investigate further based on the data they have obtained.
SLIM has faced numerous challenges throughout its mission. After landing upside down on Jan. 19 due to engine trouble, it only operated for a short observation schedule. It then experienced a revival nearly 10 days later on Jan. 29 and had approximately two days of operations before going dormant again. Since Feb. 26, it has been intermittently active, conducting its itinerant work.
Despite these hurdles, SLIM has successfully achieved both its main and extended mission objectives. It landed precisely on the moon, deployed two tiny rovers, and conducted scientific experiments using its navigation camera and spectroscopic camera. The primary focus of the mission was to search for signs of olivine on the lunar surface.
Japan now joins an elite group of countries that have soft-landed on the moon, including the Soviet Union, the United States, China, and India. Notably, the United States recently made its own historic moon landing with the Intuitive Machines IM-1 Odysseus lander. The spacecraft touched down softly on Feb. 22, marking the first American landing in 52 years since Apollo 17. However, Odysseus has also gone offline, and operators suspect that it may have completed its mission.
As SLIM remains dormant, the team at JAXA eagerly awaits the next opportunity to restart operations. With their unwavering determination and the hope of a shining sun in late March, they remain optimistic about the future of their lunar explorer.