First Japanese probe on the moon ran out of energy after landing. Now the space agency Jaxa reports that communication has been restored.
“Slim” (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) landed on the lunar surface on January 20th, Japan time. The solar panels of the device, which was only 2.4 meters high, no longer provided any electricity after landing because they were facing west and thus away from the sun. After the former Soviet Union, the USA, China and India, Japan is the fifth country to achieve a soft landing.