Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ Revived: Solar-Powered Resurrection Almost Nine Days After Losing Power Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) has re-established communication, nearly nine days after its lunar touchdown left it powerless. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced the successful restoration of connection on X, formerly known as Twitter, around 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 28. Following a thruster failure during its descent on Jan. 19, causing SLIM to topple on its nose near the Shioli crater, the spacecraft’s solar panels were initially misaligned and unable to charge. However, a recent change in sunlight direction has allowed the probe’s solar panels to generate electricity once again, marking a significant turnaround for the ‘Moon Sniper.’ Designed with precision navigation, SLIM had showcased remarkable accuracy by landing within 328 feet (100 meters) of its target despite the thruster mishap, making Japan the fifth nation to achieve a lunar spacecraft landing. The spacecraft, equipped with a multi-band spectral camera, is set to continue its mission of analyzing the lunar crust’s olivine rocks. While the duration of SLIM’s operational capability remains uncertain, JAXA has indicated that the spacecraft was not designed to survive the impending lunar night starting on Feb. 1.”
