Japanese spacecraft uses infrared imaging to analyze rocks on the moon's surface (JAXA)
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency "JAXA" succeeded in restoring contact with its spacecraft, the intelligent lunar exploration lander "SLIM", after communication with it was lost. The problem is due to the spacecraft's solar cells, which were unable to generate energy when it landed on January 20, as the panels were directed away from the sun.
The Slim vehicle represents an important achievement for Japan, as it is the fifth country to achieve a smooth landing on the moon after the United States, the former Soviet Union, China and India. The spacecraft initially operated on the power of the attached batteries for several hours before it stopped operating to facilitate the process of generating electricity again with the change in the angle of falling sunlight on the panels.
The Japanese Space Agency shared a photo taken by the Slim spacecraft of a nearby rock after it successfully landed on the edge of Xiuli Crater, describing the landing as an “unprecedented precise landing.”
The primary goal of the trip is to analyze the composition of rocks on the Moon to obtain additional information about the origin and composition of the Moon. The Japanese Aerospace Agency did not give any details regarding a specific time frame for a ladder vehicle on the moon.
The Slim spacecraft represents an important achievement for Japan as it is the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon (JAXA).
The advanced soft landing technology contained in the spacecraft also has implications for future exploration missions, especially at the mountainous poles of the Moon, which are considered potential sources of fuel, water, and oxygen.
The success of the mission comes after previous failed attempts by Japan, including the failure of the lunar lander by the emerging company "I Space".
The issue of landing on the moon is a historical challenge, as only half of the landing attempts have been successful. Before Japan, the Indian spacecraft "Chandrayan 3" achieved a smooth landing near the south pole of the moon in August 2023, while recent lunar missions carried out by an American and Russian private operator faced tragic results. The first ended in fire over the Pacific Ocean, and the second collided with the surface of the moon.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies + BBC