Japanese SLIM probe starts working after reaching the Moon

Tokyo (EFE) – Japan’s SLIM probe, which made Japan the fifth country in the world to successfully land on the moon, has confirmed power generation, established communications and resumed exploration of the lunar surface, the Japan Aerospace Agency (JAXA) confirmed.

SLIM (Smart Lunar Exploration Lander) landed on Earth’s natural satellite at 00:20 local time on the 20th (15:20 GMT on the 19th) after a difficult 20-minute descent during which it lost power. building one of two engines. .

The craft was able to communicate with Earth after landing on the Moon, but was unable to generate power from its solar panels because the landing behavior was not as planned and its panels were oriented to the west – a problem that has already been resolved. . .

According to JAXA, communication with the probe began on Sunday evening, and the module is already exploring the lunar surface.

SLIM’s main goal was to make a “spot” or pinpoint/localized landing within a 100-meter radius around Scioli Crater, near the lunar equator, a precision hitherto unprecedented.

Conventional lunar landings currently have a margin of several kilometers, while this module managed to land about 55 meters from the target.

SLIM’s other secondary mission is to capture images for the Artemis lunar exploration project, which can now be resumed once power is restored.