{"id":20798,"date":"2024-01-21T10:22:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-21T08:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=20798"},"modified":"2024-01-21T16:32:50","modified_gmt":"2024-01-21T14:32:50","slug":"japans-moon-sniper-spacecraft-successfully-lands-on-moon-but-suffers-power-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/japans-moon-sniper-spacecraft-successfully-lands-on-moon-but-suffers-power-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan\u2019s \u2018Moon Sniper\u2019 spacecraft successfully lands on moon, but suffers power issue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japan became the fifth nation to achieve a soft lunar landing as the Japanese space agency said its robotic lander had touched down and communication had been established. Despite this achievement, the spacecraft encountered solar power issues that threaten to cut short the country\u2019s lunar mission.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe think we have succeeded in executing a soft landing,\u201d JAXA President Hiroshi Yamanaka told a news conference at the agency\u2019s Sagamihara campus. \u201cThe data are continually sent to the Earth now after landing, which is evidence that our goal of a soft landing has been achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


SLIM probe faces power issues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s space agency said that its robotic Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft successfully landed on the lunar surface on January 19 at 12:20 a.m. local time. However, a power glitch post-landing has hindered its operations, posing challenges in generating electricity from its solar cells in the harsh lunar environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without functional solar panels, the probe\u2019s battery will last only a few hours, but the space agency is actively addressing this issue to ensure the continuation of the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCommunication with spacecraft has been established after the landing. However, the solar cells are currently not generating power, and priority is given to data acquisition from the SLIM on the moon,\u201d Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in its statement<\/mark><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JAXA officials shared concerns that the solar system was possibly not facing the sun and expressed hope that the panels could generate electricity once the angle of the sun changes over the coming weeks. \u201cIt takes 30 days for the solar angle to change on the moon,\u201d Kuninaka said. \u201cSo when the solar direction changes, and the light shines from a different direction, the light could end up hitting the solar cell,\u201d Hitoshi Kuninaka, the head of JAXA’s research center, told a press conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the solar power issue, the space agency considers the mission a \u201cminimum success\u201d since the spacecraft achieved a precise and soft lunar landing using optical navigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3D model of SLIM spacecraft. (Credit: JAXA\/ISAS)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the lunar mission \u201cwelcoming news\u201d and promised the government\u2019s continued support for the space endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also praised SLIM\u2019s landing, congratulating Japan<\/mark><\/a> \u201con being the historic 5th country to land successfully on the Moon!\u201d adding that \u201cWe value our partnership in the cosmos and continued collaboration\u201d in the U.S.-led multinational Artemis Moon exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


SLIM \u201cMoon Sniper\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SLIM was launched on a Mitsubishi Heavy H2A rocket in September 2023 and initially orbited Earth and entered lunar orbit on December 25. Its parts were 3D-printed with aluminum, creating a spongelike grid that deforms when it comes in contact with the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft \u2014 dubbed \u201cMoon Sniper\u201d for its precision technology \u2014 was aiming to hit a very small target using \u201cpinpoint landing\u201d technology that promises far greater control than any previous moon landing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most previous probes have used landing zones about 10 kilometers wide, SLIM was aiming to land in an area of less than 100 meters (328 feet). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JAXA officials said the probe had managed a high-precision landing, but could not confirm yet if SLIM made a pinpoint landing. JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said that the agency would need a month to analyze the landing and exactly what happened to the spacecraft as it reached the lunar surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SLIM moon lander had two primary goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n