Japan’s Lunar Lander SLIM Resumes Operations and Captures Images of Nearby Rocks on January 28.
Image captured by the SLIM spacecraft after resuming operations. (Photo: JAXA).
After landing on the Moon on January 20, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported an issue with the solar panels that prevented their lander from generating electricity. However, JAXA successfully reestablished contact with SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon), bringing the spacecraft back into operation, as announced on January 29 via social media platform X. They immediately began scientific observations using the lander’s multi-band spectral camera. JAXA also shared an image of a rock located near SLIM.
The SLIM mission makes Japan the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, following the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India. However, about three hours after landing, JAXA decided to power down SLIM with only 12% battery remaining to facilitate a resumption of operations as the angle of the Sun changed. The lander achieved its target landing site within 100 meters of the desired location, touching down just 55 meters away. This level of precision is significantly higher than the usual landing zone, which is typically several kilometers wide.
SLIM aims for a crater where the Moon’s subsurface layer is believed to be exposed. Two probes successfully separated from SLIM: one carrying a signal transmitter and another designed to roll across the Moon’s surface and transmit images back to Earth. This mini rover, which can change its shape, is slightly larger than a tennis ball.
Russia, South Korea, and the UAE are also working towards landing on the Moon. In January, the Peregrine lunar lander from the American company Astrobotic experienced a fuel leak after launch, resulting in a failed mission. Authorities lost contact with the spacecraft in a remote area of the South Pacific, where it likely burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. NASA has also postponed its plans to send humans to the Moon under the Artemis program.
