Japan's First Moon Lander Survives Third Lunar Night
Japan's space agency, JAXA, announced that its first moon lander, SLIM, has successfully survived its third freezing lunar night. The news came after receiving an image from the device, three months after its landing on the moon.
The lunar probe responded to a signal from Earth on Tuesday night, confirming its survival through another weeks-long lunar night. During these nights, temperatures can plummet to minus 170 degrees Celsius (minus 274 degrees Fahrenheit).
SLIM, which stands for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, reached the lunar surface on January 20th, making Japan the fifth country to successfully land a probe on the moon. However, its initial landing was upside down, preventing its solar panels from accessing sunlight. This forced JAXA to turn it off within hours. Fortunately, it powered back on when the sun rose eight days later.
Despite not being designed to endure lunar nights, SLIM's key functions remain operational, even after repeated harsh temperature cycles. JAXA plans to closely monitor the lander's condition as it continues its mission.
Scientists hope to gain insights into the moon's origin by comparing the mineral composition of moon rocks with those found on Earth. This news comes shortly after NASA restored contact with Voyager 1, the farthest space probe from Earth, which had been sending garbled data for months.
In contrast, a U.S. lunar probe developed by a private company ceased operations a month after its February landing. Additionally, an Indian moon lander failed to establish communication after its touchdown in 2023.