Japan’s first Intelligent Lander (SLIM) spacecraft to safely reach the lunar surface may shut down due to lack of power due to solar panels failing to generate electricity. This was stated by representatives of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA at a press conference dedicated to the landing of SLIM on the Moon. The incident was broadcast on the official channel page JAXA is on the YouTube platform.
The agency explained that SLIM photovoltaic cells were placed at the wrong angle. Currently the module is powered by batteries. Experts hope that sunlight will continue to fall on the panels, charging the station’s batteries. However, this may take up to 30 days.
JAXA also tentatively confirmed that the craft landed within a 100-meter radius of its intended location, befitting its mission name, “Lunar Sniper.” Precision landing technology will be a powerful tool in future exploration of the Moon’s rugged poles, which are seen as potential sources of oxygen, fuel and water resources.
happened before known It’s about the first successful landing of a Japanese spacecraft on the Moon.