Japan hopes sunlight can save stricken Slim Moon lander
Japan may yet manage to salvage its Moon lander, the country's space agency Jaxa says - if sunlight hits it in the right place.
Slim spacecraft faces power generation challenge
The Slim spacecraft, also known as 'Moon Sniper' for its precision-landing technologies, successfully completed a soft lunar touchdown, making Japan the fifth nation in history to achieve this feat. However, engineers soon realized that the lander's solar cells were facing west, away from the sun, preventing the generation of electricity. The mission team is hopeful that as lighting conditions shift, sunlight hitting the Moon from the west in the future may enable power generation.
The battery of the Slim spacecraft was disconnected with 12% power remaining to prevent any hampering of a potential restart. This decision was taken as an alternative to letting the battery system go completely flat. Jaxa, Japan's space agency, is currently preparing for restoration if the lighting conditions improve.
Moon missions aim to land during the 'lunar day', which provides about two weeks of illumination before the onset of two weeks of darkness. At Slim's landing location on the slopes of Shioli Crater, it is currently morning. If the spacecraft's solar cells are pointing westward, it may have to wait for the 'lunar afternoon' to start charging the battery system.
Slim mission gathers data before shutting down
Before shutting down, Slim's mission control successfully collected details about the lander's predicament and gathered images and data during its descent to the lunar surface. Jaxa expressed relief and excitement after confirming that a significant amount of data has been obtained. The agency plans to provide updates throughout the week.
Slim was equipped with two small rovers which were successfully ejected just before touchdown, according to data. The lander also carries an infrared camera to study the local geology. However, it remains uncertain how much investigation can be conducted if power levels are fully restored.
Challenges of Moon landing missions
Statistically, landing on the Moon has proven to be very difficult, with only about half of all attempts succeeding. Prior to Slim's touchdown, the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, and India had successfully landed on the Moon. Recently, a private American mission had to abort its landing attempt due to a propulsion fault. Another commercial mission from the US is scheduled for late February.
