“Last night we received a response from the SLIM lander confirming that the spacecraft has successfully passed through the lunar night for the second time,” JAXA reported on https://twitter.com/SLIM_JAXA/status/1773190431758508138.
However, the Japan Space Agency previously stated that the probe was not designed to survive the extremely cold night on a natural Earth satellite. A lunar night lasts about 14 Earth days.
“The navigation camera also took the usual pictures of the lunar landscape,” added JAXA, which released one black-and-white photo of the rocky surface of a lunar crater sent by the module.
Japanese miracle. The SLIM probe came back to life on the moon, even though it had no more
Science and schools
The device still maintains its main functions
According to the agency, although some temperature sensors and batteries are starting to fail, the module seems to maintain its main functions.
On January 19, Japan became the fifth country to successfully deliver its device into Earth’s natural orbit. The landing was successful with a deviation of 55 meters from the designated target, which according to experts represented an unprecedented degree of accuracy.
But SLIM flipped over when it landed harder on the lunar surface and its solar panels got into the wrong position with respect to the Sun.
New photos travel to Earth from the Moon
Science and schools
Thanks to a change in the angle of the sunlight, SLIM came to life after more than a week. The module, which landed in the Shioli crater in the lunar sea Mare Nectaris on the far side of the Moon, then continued to explore the lunar surface.
He survived his first lunar night in February.
China has sent a satellite to the far side of the moon
Science and schools
