Japan's "moon sniper" resumes operations after bumpy lunar landing

Tokyo: Japan's lunar lander, known as the "moon sniper," has successfully resumed operations, marking a significant achievement for the country's space exploration efforts.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed the positive development after the probe encountered challenges during its landing on January 20, leaving it in an upside-down position.

The probe, officially named the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim), faced a power crisis as it tumbled down a crater slope, causing its solar batteries to face the wrong direction and hinder electricity generation. Jaxa prioritised transmitting landing data before the battery depleted, expressing optimism about the possibility of recharging once the moon's west side receives sunlight.

Jaxa announced the successful restoration of communication with Slim, stating, "Last evening we succeeded in establishing communication with Slim, and resumed operations." The agency emphasised immediate scientific observations with the Multi-Band Camera (MBC) and the successful capture of the first light for 10-band observation.

The agency shared an image captured by Slim, revealing a rock nicknamed "toy poodle" near the lander.

The probe's landing on the moon made Japan the fifth nation, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India, to achieve a soft lunar landing. Slim demonstrated remarkable precision, landing within 100 metres of its target and only 55 metres away.

Slim's goal was to land in a crater where the moon's mantle, typically found beneath its crust, is believed to be exposed on the surface. Despite the challenges encountered during the landing, the successful resumption of operations signifies a noteworthy accomplishment for Japan's space exploration endeavours.

Jaxa had made the decision to switch off Slim with 12% power remaining shortly after landing, anticipating a possible resumption when the sun's angle changed.

Two probes detached successfully, including one with a transmitter and another designed to explore the lunar surface while beaming images to Earth. The latter, a shape-shifting mini-rover slightly larger than a tennis ball, was co-developed by the firm behind Transformer toys.

Japan has faced previous lunar mission setbacks, with two missions – one public and one private – experiencing failure.

In 2022, the country's attempt with the lunar probe Omotenashi, as part of the United States' Artemis 1 mission, was unsuccessful. Additionally, in April, Japanese startup ispace encountered communication loss after a "hard landing" while attempting to become the first private company to land on the moon.