Japan Moon Probe Survives Second Lunar Night
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published March 28, 2024 | 10:30 AM
Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2024) Japan's Moon lander woke up after unexpectedly surviving a second frigid, two-week lunar night and transmitted new images back to Earth, the country's space agency said Thursday.
The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) probe touched down in January, making Japan only the fifth nation to reach the lunar surface without crashing.
But the lightweight spacecraft landed at a wonky angle that left its solar panels facing the wrong way.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced the probe's latest surprise awakening in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"We received a response from SLIM last night and confirmed that SLIM had successfully completed its second overnight," it said.
A black-and-white photo of the rocky surface of a crater accompanied the post on SLIM's official account.
"Since the sun was still high in the sky... and the equipment was still hot, we recorded images of the usual scenery with the navigational camera, among other activities, for a short period of time," it said.
Thursday's news came after an uncrewed American lander called Odysseus -- the first private spaceship to successfully land on the Moon -- had failed to wake up.
Its manufacturer, the Houston-based Intuitive Machines, had hoped the lander might revive like Japan's SLIM, but on Saturday declared the lander's mission over.
The Intuitive Machines spaceship also landed at the wrong angle but was able to complete several tests and send back photos before the most recent lunar night began.
- 'Moon Sniper' -
JAXA has dubbed SLIM the "Moon Sniper" for its precision landing technology.
The aim of its mission was to examine a part of the Moon's mantle -- the usually deep inner layer beneath its crust -- believed to be accessible at the crater where it landed.
About three hours after its nail-biting touchdown on January 20, JAXA switched the lander off remotely to save power, having received technical and image data from its descent.
As the sun's angle shifted, the probe came back to life in late January for two days and carried out scientific observations of a crater with a high-spec camera.
JAXA says the spacecraft was "not designed for the harsh lunar nights", when the temperature plunges below minus 130 degrees Celsius (-200 degrees Fahrenheit).
So scientists had cause for celebration when SLIM successfully woke up in late February against the odds.
The SLIM saga has been a boon for the space agency after a string of high-profile failures, including two previous Japanese lunar missions -- one public and one private.
The country unsuccessfully sent a lunar probe named Omotenashi as part of the United States' Artemis 1 mission in 2022.
Then in April 2023, Japanese startup ispace lost communication with its craft after what it described as a "hard landing".
This year Japan's space fortunes have also been mixed.
In February JAXA toasted a successful blast-off for its new flagship H3 rocket.
But two weeks ago a different rocket made by the Tokyo-based company Space One exploded into flames in a spectacular failure for the start-up's bid to put a satellite into orbit.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 27 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 27 April 2024
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
More Stories From World
-
Costa Rica president says hard to close jungle migrant route
9 minutes ago -
Olympic chief Bach has 'full confidence' in WADA over Chinese swimmers
9 minutes ago -
China's diplomatic policies praised as model for global relations
39 minutes ago -
Cicada-palooza! Billions of bugs to blanket America
49 minutes ago -
Haliburton hits winner as Pacers hold off Bucks in overtime, Mavs thump Clippers
2 hours ago -
'Everyone sits out': Yangon parks offer heatwave relief
2 hours ago
-
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
2 hours ago -
Golf: LPGA LA Championship scores
2 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - collated
3 hours ago -
PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans scores
3 hours ago -
Sudanese filmmakers shine light on war's 'silent problems'
3 hours ago -
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
10 hours ago