Japan’s SLIM Moon Lander Sparks Back Into Life, Makes Contact

Japan’s SLIM moon lander has sparked back into life, re-establishing communication with Earth after falling on its side and losing power.

The country’s space agency said the lander had unexpectedly survived a freezing two-week lunar night – a feat it had not been designed to to do – more than a month after the spacecraft made a historic “pinpoint” touchdown on the Moon.

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down on the lunar surface last month, making Japan the fifth country to put a probe on the moon. 

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US-based Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus followed suit last week, as countries and businesses race for the moon in search of its resources and investigating human habitability.

But shortly after landing within 55m (180ft) of its target just south of the Moon’s equator, SLIM ran out of power because it had tipped over and its solar panels were at the wrong angle.

But its solar panels regained electricity more than a week later thanks to change in the sunlight’s direction.

• Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara

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