Japan’s pioneering Intelligent Lander, named SLIM, is designed to touch down on the Moon with precision and bring back valuable data about how autonomous soft landings can support future exploration. At a recent press conference devoted to the lunar arrival, officials from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency provided an update on the mission. The session was streamed on JAXA’s official YouTube channel, allowing observers around the world to follow the unfolding events in real time. The overarching message from JAXA was clear: the team is actively managing a power challenge that could affect the craft’s ability to sustain itself on the surface.
The core issue centers on the solar photovoltaic cells, which were installed at an angle that does not optimize electricity generation given the Moon’s changing illumination. As a result, the SLIM module is currently relying on its onboard batteries for power. Ground teams remain hopeful that sunlight will progressively strike the solar panels, initiating a gradual recharge of the battery bank. If sunlight improves, the recovery of energy reserves could extend over a span of several weeks, with an estimate of up to thirty days under typical shading and thermal conditions. This timeline naturally depends on the spacecraft’s orientation, the local albedo of the lunar surface, and the evolving position of the Sun relative to the lander.
Despite the power concerns, JAXA tentatively confirmed that the landing site lies within a tight radius of the intended touchdown point, aligning with the mission’s name, Lunar Sniper. The precision of this landing approach advances the agency’s ability to place assets with remarkable accuracy in challenging terrain. Such capability is particularly valuable for future science and resource missions that target the Moon’s polar regions, areas long considered promising sources of volatiles, oxygen compounds, hydrogen, and potentially usable water ice. The ability to reach a specified locale on the lunar surface reduces mission risk and enhances the efficiency of robotic and, eventually, crewed operations in areas with rugged topography.
Historically, this development represents a landmark moment for Japan’s space program. If SLIM achieves a safe touchdown and maintains power for continued operations, it would mark the first successful landing of a Japanese spacecraft on the Moon, extending a legacy of ambitious lunar exploration and signaling new opportunities for international collaboration in planetary science. The mission’s progress is watched closely by researchers and space agencies worldwide, as it could influence the design of future autonomous landers and the strategies used to explore the Moon’s most demanding environments. [JAXA press conference attribution]