Japan’s Lunar Lander Survives Harsh Night on Moon, Communicates with Earth Again
In a surprising turn of events, Japan’s spacecraft, known as the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), has defied expectations and successfully survived the harsh lunar night. Last month, SLIM made a precise touchdown near the Moon’s equator, and despite not being designed to withstand the extreme cold temperatures that drop below minus 130 degrees Celsius, it has managed to communicate with Earth once again.
According to the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA), a command was sent to SLIM on Sunday, and a response was received, indicating that the lander’s communications system, onboard computer, and solar panels are all functioning. This news came as a pleasant surprise to JAXA’s engineers, who had remained hopeful but uncertain about SLIM’s survival during the lunar night. SLIM project manager Shinichiro Sakai expressed his optimism, saying, “We knew that some of NASA’s Surveyors survived, so we felt we should also have some chance.”
Despite encountering several challenges along the way, SLIM has proven to be resilient. After a successful landing on target, JAXA lost contact with the lander when it rolled upside down. With its solar panels facing the wrong direction, SLIM had limited energy to capture and transmit a photo before lunar nightfall. However, it managed to send an image back to Earth before losing contact. The next lunar sunset for SLIM is scheduled for Thursday.
The extreme heat during the lunar day also poses a challenge for SLIM. With the sun high in the sky, the lander’s radio electronics quickly overheat. As a result, the team will need to wait for the temperature to cool later in the week before resuming scientific investigations.
Simeon Barber, a planetary scientist from Open University in Milton Keynes, UK, explains that electronic circuit boards can fail when exposed to extreme temperatures. The different materials used in their construction have varying contraction rates, leading to twisting and stretching forces that can cause components or joints to crack or be pulled apart.
SLIM is not the only spacecraft that has faced difficulties during lunar landings. The US spacecraft Odysseus, which recently made history as the first privately built Moon lander to complete a soft touchdown, also encountered issues with its landing position. Barber emphasizes that landing on the Moon remains a challenging task, even with advancements in technology. Both SLIM and Odysseus were built within constraints, particularly in terms of cost, which limits their size and technology.
Despite the setbacks, Barber believes that the teams behind these missions have gathered valuable data that will inform future attempts. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance and learning from previous experiences in order to achieve successful lunar landings.
As SLIM continues its mission and overcomes the obstacles it faces, it serves as a testament to the determination and ingenuity of the Japanese Space Agency. The successful survival of the harsh lunar night demonstrates the resilience of space exploration technology and paves the way for future lunar missions. With each attempt, scientists and engineers gather invaluable knowledge that brings us closer to unraveling the mysteries of the Moon and beyond.