Japan's space agency, JAXA, announced that its SLIM moon lander has unexpectedly survived a freezing lunar night and re-established communication with Earth. This news comes more than a month after the spacecraft made a historic "pinpoint" touchdown on the moon.
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down on the lunar surface last month, making Japan the fifth country to put a probe on the moon. This accomplishment follows the successful landing of U.S.-based Intuitive Machines' Odysseus last week, highlighting the increasing global interest in lunar exploration for resources and potential human habitation.
Shortly after landing within 55 meters (180 feet) of its target just south of the moon's equator, SLIM encountered a power outage due to its tilted position, which prevented its solar panels from capturing sunlight. However, more than a week later, a change in the sunlight's direction allowed the solar panels to regain electricity. JAXA had previously stated that the probe was not designed to survive a lunar night, making this unexpected survival a significant achievement.