2024-01-22 14:11:53
The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) announced today, Monday, that it had stopped the power supply to its “Slim” probe, less than three hours following its historic landing on the moon’s surface on Saturday, in order to save energy in its batteries for a possible restart.
The agency indicated that there is a “possibility” to restart the probe, which encountered a problem with its solar panels.
The Japanese Space Agency said, “According to telemetry data, the Slim probe’s solar cells are directed toward the west. “If sunlight hits the moon from the west in the future, we believe it is possible to produce energy, and we are currently preparing to restart.”
The agency noted, via social media, “We were able to complete the transfer of technical data and images obtained during the landing on the moon’s surface before the power went out.”
On Saturday, Japan became the fifth country in the world to successfully carry out a landing on the moon.
After a spectacular descent that lasted twenty minutes, the Japanese Space Agency announced that the “SLIM” module (which stands for “Intelligent Lunar Landing Vehicle”) landed at 00:20 Saturday morning (15:20 GMT Friday) and contact was established. with her.
But because the solar panels cannot function, the probe, nicknamed “Moon Sniper” for its ability to land accurately, will only receive electricity for “hours,” warned Hitoshi Kuninaka, a JAXA official.
Kuninaka said that the panels may restart when the angle of the sun changes, while the team works to maximize the scientific results of the mission by transmitting the data obtained to Earth.
“SLIM” is one of many missions to the moon recently launched by countries and private companies. However, so far, only the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and finally India have succeeded in landing on the moon.
JAXA hopes to analyze data obtained during the lunar landing to determine whether the vehicle achieved its goal by landing within 100 meters of its target. The Slim rover landed in a small crater less than 300 meters in diameter, called “Shioli,” where It was scheduled to conduct analyzes on the surface.
The Japanese Space Agency said that the two miniature vehicles carried by the “Slim” probe were launched normally, including a spherical probe called “SORA-Q,” which is barely larger than a tennis ball and can modify its shape to move on the lunar soil. It was developed by JAXA in partnership with Japanese gaming giant Takara Tomy.
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said that although the accuracy of the moon landing must be confirmed, “I think the mission was a great success.”
He explained that several problems may be the cause of the problem with the solar panels. “There might be a loose cable, a cable that’s connected the wrong way, or the lander might be in reverse and unable to see the sun for some reason,” McDowell said.
More than 50 years following man’s first steps on the moon, an achievement achieved by the Americans in 1969, countries raced to it once more.
In addition to the United States and China, Russia also dreams of restoring the glories of the Soviet Union in the field of space.
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