Tokyo: Japan’s ambitious lunar explorer, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), has again entered sleep mode as the sun set over Shiori Crater on the Moon on Friday.
This marks another significant phase in the lander’s journey on the moon, in which the harsh lunar environment has characterised both groundbreaking achievements and challenging setbacks.
Launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Slim achieved a historic precision landing on the rim of Shioli Crater on January 19, 2024, despite experiencing engine troubles that resulted in a nose-down landing.
This unconventional posture did not deter the lander from its mission objectives; it successfully woke up nearly 10 days later when sunlight reached its solar panels, allowing it to capture invaluable images and data about the lunar surface.
Before entering its latest dormant state, SLIM managed to send back a final image of the moon’s surface, adding to the wealth of information gathered during its operational periods.
The lander’s primary scientific instrument, a multi-band camera, has been instrumental in scanning the lunar terrain for olivine and other minerals, offering insights into the moon’s origins.
Despite the current hibernation triggered by the lunar night, Jaxa remains hopeful. The agency plans to attempt the reactivation of SLIM with the next sunrise in Shiori Crater.
However, repeated exposure to extreme temperature cycles poses an increased risk of failure for the spacecraft’s electronics.
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