Japan’s Moon Lander Survives Lunar Night, Signals Earth
In a remarkable feat of resilience, Japan’s moon lander, known as Slim, has responded to a signal from Earth, indicating that it has successfully survived the harsh lunar night. The unmanned spacecraft, officially named Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, faced a daunting challenge when it touched down on the moon’s surface at a wonky angle, causing its solar panels to face the wrong direction. However, as the sun’s angle shifted, Slim powered up and carried out scientific observations of a crater using its high-spec camera.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) expressed uncertainty about Slim’s ability to reawaken after going to sleep as darkness returned. The lander was not specifically designed to endure the harsh lunar nights, making its survival a matter of speculation. However, Jaxa announced on Monday that Slim had responded to a command sent from Earth, indicating that it had successfully endured a night on the moon’s surface while maintaining communication functionality.
Although the communication was terminated shortly after due to the high temperature of the equipment during lunar midday, Jaxa is preparing to resume operations once the instrument temperatures have sufficiently cooled. This development is a significant achievement for Japan’s space program, which has faced a series of recent failures. With this successful landing, Japan becomes the fifth country in history to achieve a “soft landing” on the moon, joining the ranks of the United States, Soviet Union, China, and India.
Slim, affectionately nicknamed the Moon Sniper for its precision landing technology, landed precisely within its target landing zone on January 20th. This accomplishment marks a major milestone for Japan’s space exploration efforts and demonstrates their technological prowess. Despite encountering engine problems during descent and ending up on its side with solar panels facing west instead of up, Slim managed to overcome these obstacles and fulfill its mission objectives.
The success of Slim follows another recent achievement by Japan’s space agency. Jaxa celebrated the successful launch of its H3 rocket on February 17th, marking the third attempt after years of delays and two previous failures. This recent string of accomplishments highlights Japan’s commitment to advancing space exploration and solidifies its position as a key player in the global space race.
Meanwhile, other countries are also vying to reach the moon. Russia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are among the nations actively pursuing lunar exploration. Furthermore, the United States recently made history with the landing of its uncrewed Odysseus lander near the lunar south pole. Developed by a private company and funded by NASA, this mission marks the first US spaceship to reach the moon since the Apollo era. Although the Odysseus lander encountered challenges during its landing, ground controllers are working diligently to download data and surface photos from the spacecraft.
It is worth noting that Japan’s previous attempt to land on the moon, led by the private Japanese firm ispace, ended in disappointment with a “hard landing” and subsequent loss of contact. However, this setback did not deter Japan’s determination to explore the moon further. The successful survival of Slim through the lunar night serves as a testament to Japan’s resilience and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration.
As Japan’s moon lander continues its mission on the lunar surface, scientists and space enthusiasts eagerly await further updates and discoveries. The data collected by Slim has the potential to unlock valuable insights into the moon’s geology and contribute to our understanding of celestial bodies beyond our own planet. With each successful mission, Japan’s space program solidifies its reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of space exploration.