Japan's SLIM spacecraft has regained power more than a week after it ran out of electricity after landing on the moon.
the Japan The Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it reestablished contact with the lander late Sunday, nine days after Japan has become the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon.
The Lunar Exploration Intelligent Lander (SLIM) touched down on the lunar surface within 55 meters (180 feet) of its target on January 20, but a potential failure of one of the probe's two main thrusters means it… He landed on his head instead of his feet.
The SLIM ran out of electricity because its solar panels were at the wrong angle. Photo: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency – Reuters
With battery power draining quickly, mission managers had to put the lander into hibernation mode after just three hours.
But thanks to the change in the direction of sunlight, the probe's solar panels were able to generate power.
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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said that the lander has resumed operations to analyze the composition of olivine rocks on the moon's surface, searching for clues about the origin of the moon.
The agency said it does not have a clear date for when SLIM will end operations, but has previously said the lander was not designed to survive a lunar night — the next one will be Thursday.
The mission has already been hailed a success, achieving the primary goal of landing within a 100-metre diameter target area – a technology that could be a powerful tool for exploring potential sources of fuel, water and oxygen in the future.
