A Japanese explorer that recently landed on the Moon has resumed communication with Earth, the country’s space agency said Monday, revealing that the craft has unexpectedly survived the freezing lunar night after a period of dormancy.
“Last night, a command was sent to SLIM and a response received,” the mission’s team said in a post on X, referring to the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. The team had previously indicated that SLIM was not designed to endure the frigid lunar night, which lasts for around two weeks with temperatures plummeting to minus 170 C.
The move indicates that SLIM’s solar panels are now receiving sunlight, allowing it to generate power.
The team said in another post that communication with SLIM was terminated “after a short time, as it was still lunar midday and the temperature of the communication equipment was very high.”
According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, data was received after 7 p.m. on Sunday, allowing it to confirm that SLIM is at least functioning. But the temperature of some of its equipment has risen to above 100 C due to sunlight.
Once the temperatures cool down, JAXA plans to confirm SLIM’s functionality, including that of a camera capable of observing minerals on the Moon.
Japan landed the explorer on Jan. 20, becoming the fifth country to achieve the feat after the former Soviet Union, the United States, China and India. SLIM touched down around 55 meters from its target site, accomplishing JAXA’s mission to land it with unprecedented precision.
Despite its initial failure to generate power, as its solar power panels were not properly facing the Sun, SLIM was able to resume its mission on the Moon and completed its planned tasks through Jan. 31.
It had been dormant following sunset in the area where it landed.
BY: KYODO
