Japanese “Moon Sniper” suddenly came to life after a bumpy landing

The module began photographing the surface of the Moon

Japanese lunar lander Slim overcomes energy crisis to begin science operations. A lunar probe has begun photographing the lunar surface after a bumpy landing that left its solar panels pointed in the wrong direction.

Japan’s lunar module has resumed operations, Japan’s space agency said on Monday, saying power had been restored to the craft after it was left upside down during a slightly accidental landing.

The probe, nicknamed the “Moon Sniper”, fell from the side of the crater during its landing on January 20, leaving its solar panels oriented in the wrong direction and unable to generate electricity, The Guardian recalls.

Japan’s space agency Jaxa prioritized transmitting landing data before the battery on its Smart Lunar Lander (Slim) ran out, but said there was a chance the probe could recharge once the western side of the Moon starts receiving sunlight in the coming months. days.

“We were able to establish contact with Slim last night and have resumed operations,” Jaxa said Monday. “We immediately began scientific observations using the multi-band camera and successfully obtained the first light for 10-band observation,” it said, referring to the lander’s spectroscopic camera.

The space agency posted on Platform X a photo taken by Slim of a “toy poodle,” a rock spotted near the lander.

The lunar landing made Japan only the fifth country to make a soft landing on the Moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India, The Guardian notes.

The lander reached its goal – it landed within 100 meters of the target, touching the ground at a distance of 55 meters. This is much more accurate than the usual landing zone range, which experts estimate to be several kilometers.

Slim was aiming for a crater where the moon’s mantle, typically the deep inner layer beneath its crust, is believed to lie on the surface.

But about three hours after landing, Jaxa decided to shut down Slim, leaving 12% power to ensure it could resume operation as the sun’s angle changed.

According to Jaxa, two probes have successfully separated – one with a transmitter, and the other designed to roam the lunar surface, transmitting images to Earth. Slightly larger than a tennis ball, this shape-shifting mini rover was co-developed by the company that makes Transformable toys.

Japan’s two previous lunar missions – one public and one private – failed, The Guardian emphasizes. In 2022, the country unsuccessfully sent a lunar probe called Omotenashi as part of the United States’ Artemis 1 mission.

In April, Japanese startup ispace tried in vain to become the first private company to land on the moon after losing contact with its craft after what it described as a “hard landing.”