After a total of nine Earth days since Japan's SLIM Moon lander touched down on the lunar surface and lost contact with JAXA, the agency is now reporting that it is back to life after recharging via its solar panels. As it lost power on the way down and after the main engine malfunctioned, the SLIM went down on the Moon face-first, preventing the spacecraft from collecting the energy it needed to contact home.
SLIM is back on track now, and the first order of business is to communicate with JAXA to bring the latest updates of its time over at the lunar surface, also showing its latest snaps to the agency.
Japan's SLIM is Back to Life After a Solar Recharge
JAXA / Takara Tomy / Sony Group Co., Ltd. / Doshisha University
In what was originally speculated as the end of SLIM's mission, the spacecraft is now back online and reestablished communication with JAXA to bring it updates on its current situation on the neighboring celestial body.
SLIM lost power days ago, and JAXA hoped that the Sun's rays would change its position to hit the solar panels of the spacecraft for its chance to recharge.
After regaining power, JAXA felt like SLIM had a fair amount of time to rest since its Pinpoint landing and immediately started with its scientific observations on the Moon.
Communication with SLIM was successfully established last night, and operations resumed! Science observations were immediately started with the MBC, and we obtained first light for the 10-band observation. This figure shows the “toy poodle” observed in the multi-band observation. pic.twitter.com/WYD4NlYDaG
Through SLIM's multi-band camera (MBC), the team was able to gather images of nearby regions, and the various rocks it saw were subsequently labeled by the company as canines. It initially obtained "first light" on its 10-band observation, first seeing the "toy poodle" or a rock that SLIM first started observing, also the nearest to the spacecraft.
JAXA, RITSUMEIKAN UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF AIZU
Five other observations were made, subsequently naming them after famed dog breeds including "Shibainu," "Akitainu," "Bulldog," and "St. Bernard." There was also another Moon rock which it called "Kaiken."
Japan's SLIM and its Moon Mission
Back in December 2023, the mission successfully reached the lunar orbit and awaited its next step to descend to the natural satellite's surface for its test.
While JAXA went a step further unlike Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission 1 which did not make it to the lunar orbit and returned home.
However, it was not a guaranteed success for JAXA as come the actual landing day, the team faced massive challenges during its descent, with the lander experiencing an engine failure.
It went down the lunar surface upside down, but the team regarded this test to be successful as it was able to demonstrate its "Pinpoint" technique which was the main goal of the operation.
As part of the lander's mission, SLIM used its MBC to bring the first images it has on its stay on the lunar surface, showing a toy poodle to the world, with many more dog-likeness snaps lined up for its stay.
