Tokyo –
A Japanese space probe has successfully landed on the Moon, but problems with its solar panels mean the mission could be cut short by a few hours.
Vehicle Intelligent lander to investigate the Moon (SLIM) made a soft landing on the lunar surface near the equatorial crater.
Japan became the fifth country to successfully land its probe on the Moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India.
But currently Japanese experts are trying to save the mission.
For reasons not yet entirely clear, the plane’s solar panels do not produce electricity.
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This condition makes Slim completely dependent on the battery, which will run out sooner or later.
When this happens, this vehicle cannot perform activities. He will not receive orders and will not be able to make contact with Earth.
Experts are currently giving priority to whether the vehicle can carry out its tasks.
They had turned off the heat and taken note of the photos taken by the robot.
It is not yet known how the problem occurred, but it is possible that the orientation of the solar panels changed in such a way that they were unable to see the sun.
When the angle of light on the Moon changed, Slim could possibly come back to life, Japanese authorities said.
Japanese celebrate as probe lands smoothly on Moon (Reuters)
Asked at a news conference about the solar panel problem and Japan’s claim that the probe landed safely, Jaxa Vice President Hitoshi Kuninaka said a landing under such conditions could still be made.
“Otherwise a collision with the lunar surface at very high speed would occur and the function of the spacecraft would be completely lost,” he told reporters.
“But they still sent us the data without any problems, which means that our initial goal of a smooth landing was successful.”
Slim was carrying two small rovers, and telemetry showed they successfully ejected as expected before landing.
The probe, which carries an infrared camera, will spend the next two weeks studying the local geology.
It remains to be seen to what extent this investigation can be completed in the time available.
Two rovers lined up: Hopper (left) and shapeshifting ball (right), as imagined by the artists (Jaxa)
Statistically, there is a lot of evidence that it is very difficult to land on the Moon. So far only about half of all landing attempts have been successful.
Jaxa places its faith in the new navigation technology that enables its precise landing.
The computer on board the landing craft uses rapid image processing and crater mapping to avoid hazards when it reaches the landing site.
The experts wanted the landing to occur within 100 meters of the targeted location.
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Now they will study the data to see Slim’s performance. However, early indications show that the technology works as originally designed.
“Looking at the runway data, I am sure that Slim will definitely be able to land exactly with an accuracy of 100 meters. Of course, as we previously informed, it will take about a month to accurately analyze the information,” Kuninaka said.
Slim began a descent maneuver from a height of 15 km at midnight Friday to Saturday (Japan time). They landed shortly after 3.20pm GMT.
The landing site is near Shioli Crater when the Sun shines brightly, but in the darkness of night the Moon will return there later this month.
When this happens, temperatures drop dramatically to levels that can damage electronic circuits.
The targeted landing site is located on a slope near the Shioli crater, just south of the Moon’s equator (NASA/LRO)
Jaxa has landed its robotic probes on a number of asteroids twice, so this Moon landing is important.
The spacecraft will play an important role in the US space agency’s (NASA) Artemis program, which seeks to return humans to the lunar surface after a hiatus of more than half a century.
Last year, a private Japanese company, iSpace, attempted a landing. His Hakuto-R plane crashed when the onboard computer had difficulty detecting its height above the Moon.
The American private company Astrobotic jettisoned its Peregrine landing craft into Earth’s atmosphere on Thursday. An error in the propulsion aspect prevented the landing attempt.
However, Dr Simeon Barber of the UK’s Open University expressed his appreciation for Japan’s efforts to land its first probe on the Moon.
“For me, it was all about the precision of the landing. It was a huge success. I would have loved it if I were them,” he told BBC News.
“We are in an era where many missions to the Moon are undertaken by many different players. If we combine all this knowledge, gained by all players through these efforts – successful or otherwise – then we as a community will learn how to structure missions more successfully in the future.”
In line with this, Dr Emma Gatti, of digital media SpaceWatch Global, said Japan deserves to celebrate its success.
“This is historic for them; it’s a matter of prestige. This is important for Japan as a country; important for all the investments they’ve made – proof that this can be done by a country that’s not as big as China or the United States United”, said Emma Gatti.
(vc/vc)
2024-01-20 12:19:27
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