Japan is the fifth country to land on the moon. After problems with the energy supply, the “SLIM” probe is now exploring the lunar surface.
Tokyo – The Japanese probe “SLIM” that landed on the moon went into operation after days of power failure. As the Japanese space agency Jaxa announced, the solar panels now appear to be working. “SLIM” landed on the lunar surface on January 20th, Japan time. However, the solar panels no longer provided electricity after landing. The lander was then switched off. Jaxa announced that they are now communicating with the probe again. The lander is now also exploring the lunar surface.
The high-tech country of Japan is the fifth country after the former Soviet Union, the USA, China and India to achieve a soft landing on Earth’s satellite. Despite the initial problems with the energy supply, Jaxa was satisfied with the project because the probe landed very close to the intended target. dpa