The SLIM lunar lander from the Japanese Space Agency has survived its second night on the Moon and returns a new photograph, despite the solar panels pointing away from the Sun during the day. The lightweight spacecraft landed upside-down but managed to touch down in one piece, making Japan the fifth nation to land on the surface without crashing.
You might remember the SLIM lunar lander that managed to land upside-down! The probe from the Japanese Space Agency has survived its second night on the Moon and returns a new photograph. Despite the solar panels pointing away from the Sun during the day it was still able to capture the image and transmit to Earth. All that while surviving the harsh -130C lunar night.
The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) sent SLIM (the Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon) back in January but the lightweight spacecraft landed completely wrong. Despite the wonky landing, SLIM touching down in one piece made Japan the fifth nation to land on the surface without crashing. The biggest problem for the mission was the solar panels pointing the wrong way. To the surprise of JAXA though they were able to announce the probe awoke for a second night. The lander’s purpose was to research and test the pinpoint landing technology for future lunar mission
SLIM Lunar Lander Japanese Space Agency Moon Solar Panels Photograph Spacecraft Landing Research Technology
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