Smart Lander for Investigating Moon [© JAXA]
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) reached the Moon’s surface earlier today.
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19 January 2024: Launched by on 6 September 2023, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) reached the Moon’s surface shortly after 10:20 JST but encountered a problem. At a live-streamed press conference, which commenced at approximately 17:12 GMT, a JAXA spokesperson explained that although the SLIM successfully soft-landed, its solar cell was not functioning and the lander was currently operating on battery power. Telemetry was being received and onboard equipment was functioning properly. This landing makes Japan the fifth nation to successfully put a spacecraft on the surface of the moon.
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