Japan believes sunlight may rescue damaged Slim Moon lander

Japan’s space agency says it might be able to save its Moon lander if it gets enough sunlight in the right spot.

The Slim spacecraft was turned off shortly after it landed on the moon to save its energy.

The engineers found out that the solar panels were facing the wrong way and couldn’t make power.

However, the team on the mission now thinks the situation might get better as the lighting changes.

The Jaxa statement said that if the Sun shines on the Moon in the future, they think they could make power from it. They are getting ready for that.

The Slim mission, also called “Moon Sniper” because it used precise landing technology, made Japan the fifth country ever to land softly on the moon.

However, the happiness of watching the spacecraft safely land was replaced by concern as the power levels decreased.

Instead of turning off the system completely, it was decided to put the craft to sleep.

Jaxa said they disconnected the battery with 12% power left following their procedures. They did this to make sure the restart of the lander would not be a problem.

The spacecraft was turned off at 02:57 on Saturday in Japan or 17:57 on Friday in GMT.

Before the shutdown, the mission control gathered information about Slim’s situation and got pictures and data of its landing on the moon.

Jaxa said they are happy and starting to feel excited because they have collected a lot of information.

The agency said they would give us more information during the week.

Moon missions aim to land on the moon when the sun rises in the east, at the beginning of the lunar day. This means that a spacecraft gets light for about two weeks, and then it is dark for two weeks.

It’s morning at Slim’s landing spot near Shioli Crater. If the solar cells on the spacecraft are pointing west, then it might have to wait until the lunar afternoon for the cells to get enough light to start charging the batteries.

Slim was holding two small rovers. The data shows that it was able to release them as planned right before landing.

The vehicle also has a special camera that uses infrared light to study the rocks and soil in the area. We don’t know how much can be investigated if the power levels are restored.

Statistically, it’s really difficult to reach the Moon. Only around 50% of the attempts have been successful.

Before Slim, only the US, Russia, China and Japan had successfully landed on the surface.

An American mission from a private company had to stop trying to land on another planet because their spacecraft had a problem with its engines soon after it launched from Earth. Another business from the United States will attempt to succeed in late February.