Japan lands SLIM spacecraft on moon, solar cells not charging

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) made a historic announcement after successfully landing their Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft on the moon. However, JAXA officials reported on Friday, Jan. 19, that the SLIM spacecraft’s solar cells were not generating electricity.

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The smart lander operates on auxiliary battery power and is expected to only last a few hours.

During a press conference in Japan on Jan. 20, 2024, Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka, director general of ISAS/JAXA, stated, “Now, the SLIM has been communicating to the Earth Station and it is receiving commands from the Earth accurately, and the spacecraft is responding to these. However, it seems that the solar cell is not generating electricity at this point in time.”

There is a chance that the solar cells will work, but due to the nature of the landing, it remains uncertain. In an effort to conserve battery life, officials have shut down the heater to prioritize downloading pictures and data.

Japan now joins the ranks as the fifth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon.

Meanwhile, the latest attempt from the United States — the Peregrine moon lander — faced challenges as it approached re-entry above Australia on Friday, Jan. 19. The Peregrine experienced a significant drop in battery levels on its way to the moon. The spacecraft burned upon entering Earth’s atmosphere.