Japan’s SLIM Moon Lander Awakens After Month-Long Hibernation
After a month-long hibernation on the moon, Japan’s SLIM lander has finally awakened. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) responded to a command from Earth, signaling that it has successfully made it through the lunar night and maintained communication capabilities. This exciting news was announced by officials from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on Monday.
During its hibernation period, SLIM experienced the cold temperatures of the moon’s two-week night, with surface temperatures dropping as low as 212 Fahrenheit (100 Celsius). However, despite these extreme conditions, the lander’s electronics remained operational. In a playful post by JAXA, they stated, “If we continue to communicate, things will get even hotter, so yesterday I decided to communicate for a while and then take a break again.”
Not only is SLIM awake, but it is also continuing to gather scientific data. Recent images shared on the mission’s Japanese-language account reveal a new zone of the moon that was previously unseen. These images were captured using the lander’s navigation camera. However, the team plans to limit contact until local temperatures have fallen to safer levels.
SLIM’s journey has been quite eventful since its precise touchdown on the rim of Shioli crater on January 19. Due to engine trouble, the lander ended up upside-down. Fortunately, its solar panels are still receiving energy from the sun, albeit at a reduced level. The reduced sunlight caused the mission to shut down shortly after landing but revived nearly 10 days later for a brief period of operation.
During this short operational window, JAXA utilized SLIM’s Multi-Band Camera (MBC) to explore the landing site and search for olivine and other minerals. Additionally, the lander captured numerous images of rocks, which were creatively named after dogs to indicate their relative sizes.
However, the lunar night, lasting approximately 14.5 Earth days, posed a significant challenge for SLIM. With no sunlight reaching the lander, it remained dormant until lunar daytime arrived around February 15. Unfortunately, SLIM’s unfavorable landing position meant that not enough sunlight reached the lander until this weekend.
The fact that SLIM’s electronics survived the extreme temperatures of equatorial lunar nighttime, which can drop as low as minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 130 degrees Celsius), is a remarkable feat. The lander has successfully achieved its main and extended mission objectives, including making a precision landing, deploying two small rovers for their own operations, and collecting valuable scientific data from the surrounding area.
As SLIM continues its mission on the moon, scientists and space enthusiasts eagerly await further updates and discoveries. The resilience and success of this Japanese moon lander serve as a testament to the incredible advancements in space exploration technology.
