Japanese lunar probe communications restored

　　China News Service, Tokyo, February 26 (Reporter Zhu Chenxi) The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced on the 26th that the Japanese small lunar probe SLIM, which had been in a "sleeping" state, resumed communication with the ground on the 25th.

　　According to Japan's "Asahi Shimbun" report, around 19:00 local time on the 25th, JAXA received a signal from SLIM, which had been in a "dormant" state.

However, JAXA stated that SLIM's current body temperature is high and it will not be able to maintain long-term communication. It will take time to confirm whether the camera it is equipped with can work properly.

　　Japan's small lunar probe SLIM successfully landed on the lunar surface accurately within an error of 100 meters at 0:20 local time on January 20.

However, because the final landing attitude was different from the planned one, the solar panels on the probe were not facing the direction of the sun, resulting in the battery being unable to generate electricity.

In order to prevent permanent damage to the detector, the SLIM project team turned off the power of the detector through ground commands at 2:57 local time on January 20.

　　SLIM established communication with the ground on the evening of January 28, local time. The SLIM project team posted on social media X that its multispectral camera successfully acquired the "first light" observed in 10 bands.

Due to reasons such as the movement of sunlight, SLIM entered the "sleep" state again on January 31.

　　The length, width and height of SLIM are about 2.7 meters, 1.7 meters and 2.4 meters respectively, and the mass without propellant is about 200 kilograms. It was launched on September 7, 2023 via the H2A rocket. It is Japan's third challenge to land on the moon. detector.

Previously, Japan's first lunar probe by JAXA gave up its lunar exploration mission because it failed to establish communication with the ground. The lunar lander of the Japanese private enterprise "i Space Company" crashed on the lunar surface because it deviated from the landing site.

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