Tokyo – A Japanese moon lander experienced a power glitch shortly after touching down on the lunar surface on Friday. The Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM) could not generate electricity from its solar cells, leaving it powerless and unable to transmit data back to Earth. The spacecraft is expected to exhaust its batteries within hours. Mission managers hope that the probe may “wake up” if the solar cells generate enough power in the future, but there is uncertainty about this outcome.
Although the SLIM is still communicating with Earth and responding normally to commands, the solar cells are currently not generating electricity. Hisotoshi Kuninaka, director general of the Japan Aerospace Research Agency (JAXA), stated that efforts are being made to retrieve stored data and maximize the scientific return. However, the batteries are expected to run out of power before the end of the day.
The SLIM mission aimed to achieve two objectives: to demonstrate high-precision landing capabilities and to test lightweight design for smaller spacecraft. Previously, only the United States, Russia, China, and India have successfully landed spacecraft on the moon. Three private commercial landing missions have failed.
In a separate briefing, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton discussed the recent demise of the Peregrine moon lander, which was stranded in Earth’s orbit after a propellant tank rupture. Thornton noted that a review board will be formed to investigate the incident and prevent similar anomalies in future missions. Despite this setback, Thornton expressed confidence in the success of the next mission, the Griffin moon lander.
The SLIM lander, launched on September 7, 2023, aimed to touch down within 100 meters of its target using a high-precision landing system. The spacecraft had successfully transitioned to a circular orbit around the moon earlier this month. During its final descent, the SLIM spacecraft followed the planned trajectory and sent telemetry to Earth. It was designed to release two mini rovers just before touchdown.
While confirmation of the landing was not immediate, NASA’s Deep Space Network later received telemetry from SLIM and the two rovers. JAXA officials confirmed that data was being acquired and that the original objective of a soft landing appeared successful. However, further analysis is necessary to determine the spacecraft’s precise orientation and the overall success of the landing.