JAPANESE SMART LANDER REACTIVATES AFTER SURVIVING FREEZING LUNAR NIGHT
▶ Slim craft was not expected to wake up after being put to sleep to cope with temperatures of minus 183°C
Japan’s Moon lander has defied the odds by maintaining communications through the freezing temperatures of the lunar night, even though it was not designed to do so.
The Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon, or Slim, was put to sleep for two weeks, which is how long the lunar night lasts, as temperatures fell to minus 183°C.
Moon landers are typically put in sleep mode during the lunar night to ensure their hardware and instruments are not frozen.
Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency re-established communications with the lander on Sunday.
Japan became the fifth country to successfully carry out a lunar landing last month, although its lander touched down upside down.
A statement posted on X from the lander’s official account yesterday said: “Last night, a command was sent to Slim and a response received, confirming that the spacecraft has made it through the lunar night and maintained communication capabilities.”
Communication with the lander has since ceased after the equipment overheated from the sun’s rays.
“Preparations are being made to resume operations when instrument temperatures have sufficiently cooled,” officials said.
The revival of the Moon lander will help scientists continue their research into lunar soil composition and surface radiation.
Slim used precision-landing technology that allowed it to touch down close to the designated spot on the Moon’s surface. However, it landed at an awkward angle and was unable to generate power from its solar panels.
The lightweight craft was sent to the Moon to improve the technology for exploration missions. Before Japan, only space agencies from the US, the former Soviet Union, China and India had successfully managed a lunar landing.
India’s lander and rover did not reactivate after the lunar night.