In an unforeseen turn of events, Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has encountered a lunar mishap, ending up on its nose and leaving it inverted on the moon’s surface. The distressing scene was captured by the smaller companion robot, SORA-Q, which successfully separated from the lander just before touchdown last week.
The accompanying image not only reveals the unfortunate landing but also sheds light on the challenges SLIM faced in power generation due to obstructed solar panels. These difficulties led scientists to deactivate the lander a mere three hours after its landing.
SLIM Landing
Rover View
Although the landing technically marked Japan as the fifth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon, issues arose despite the initial survival of the “20 minutes of terror” during descent.
Over the weekend, the Japanese space agency, JAXA, issued a statement, providing a renewed sense of optimism. “If sunlight illuminates the Moon from the west in the future, we believe there’s a possibility of power generation, and we’re currently preparing for restoration,” JAXA conveyed.
To transmit the image captured by SORA-Q back to Earth, the robot transmitted the data to a second robot named LEV-1, successfully deployed by SLIM during landing. LEV-1 has the capability to independently communicate with mission control.
Despite the awkward landing, SLIM managed to observe its surroundings, revealing a desolate and rocky area. JAXA, despite the setback, considers the mission a significant success.
“The accomplishment of LEV-1’s leaping movements on the lunar surface, inter-robot communication between LEV-1 and SORA-Q, and fully autonomous operations represent a groundbreaking achievement,” stated the agency. “This is a valuable technology demonstration for future lunar explorations, and the knowledge gained will be applied in upcoming missions.”
Oh the blunders of space, what a time to be alive, when will the future be here, because it certainly isn’t today.
