Japan has become the fifth country to successfully land on the moon. Previously, this was achieved by the USA, China, India, and Russia. The Japanese landing module SLIM successfully touched down, but its mission will likely be short-lived. The Japanese space agency JAXA reports that the spacecraft is experiencing problems with its solar battery and is unable to generate electricity. The battery only has enough power for a few hours of operation in its current state.
Based on the operation of other instruments, it is evident that SLIM made a soft landing. This was confirmed by JAXA. The spacecraft has been able to communicate with Earth and receive commands, but is running on a depleted battery. It is unclear what the issue with the solar battery is, besides the fact that it is not functioning.
There is a possibility that the panels are simply not facing the sun at the moment. Therefore, they may start charging once the position of the sun changes. JAXA says more time is needed to understand what happened. The two small rovers LEV-1 and LEV-2, which accompanied SLIM to the moon, were successfully separated from the landing module as planned. They are still operational.
JAXA is currently focused on maximizing the remaining operational time of SLIM and gathering as much data as possible after landing. SLIM is an intelligent landing module for lunar exploration. It is also called the "lunar sniper" because of its precise landing technology, which is intended to place it within 100 meters of its target - the Shoal crater. The agency plans to hold another press conference to share new information.
Source: Engadget
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