Japan’s Moon lander Slim was back in action after a power problem took it offline for a week.
Japan’s space agency fixed the glitch and Slim’s solar panels are working again.
It had trouble generating power when it first landed because its panels weren’t facing the Sun. But now, Slim is up and running, exploring the Moon’s surface and taking pictures, like one it snapped of a rock it dubbed a “toy poodle”.
Slim’s mission is to study Moon rocks and learn more about how the Moon formed. It landed with impressive precision near a crater, showcasing Japan’s advanced landing technology.
This kind of tech could be crucial for future missions to harvest resources like fuel and water from the Moon. Landing on the Moon is tough, with only about half of attempts succeeding.
Japan’s success comes after India’s rover landed near the lunar south pole, an area never explored before.
But not all missions have gone smoothly, with recent crashes from both private and government spacecraft.
It’s a challenging journey, but each success brings us closer to unlocking the Moon’s secrets.
(Adapted from BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68125589