JAXA has announced plans to conclude the mission of the lunar exploration spacecraft SLIM after multiple attempts to establish communication with the craft yielded no results.
The lunar surface image captured by the SLIM lander, released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on January 25, 2024. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)
The SLIM spacecraft successfully landed on the lunar surface in early January 2024. On June 27, JAXA reported that they had attempted to re-establish contact with the exploration vehicle over the past month and during the last seven days but received no response. According to JAXA, it is highly unlikely that communication will be restored with the spacecraft.
Although JAXA has decided to terminate the operation of SLIM, they assess that the spacecraft has functioned longer than expected, surviving through three lunar nights. One lunar night lasts about two weeks on Earth, with temperatures potentially dropping to minus 170 degrees Celsius, which can disable standard electronic devices and battery systems.
SLIM is equipped with precision landing technology, allowing it to touch down within 100 meters of its intended target. This is the highest level of accuracy achieved to date, as traditional landers have typically deviated by several kilometers.
The SLIM mission has made Japan the fifth country in the world to successfully deploy a lunar lander, following the former Soviet Union, the United States, China, and India.
