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JAXA's officials present a photograph of SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) on the Moon surface taken by Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV-2) during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, January 25, 2024. Franck Robichon, EPA-EFE.

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Press conference on SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) status on the Moon

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/11972974.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="JAXA&#x27;s officials present a photograph of SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) on the Moon surface taken by Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV-2) during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, January 25, 2024. Franck Robichon, EPA-EFE."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">JAXA&#x27;s officials present a photograph of SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) on the Moon surface taken by Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV-2) during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, January 25, 2024. <em><strong>Franck Robichon, EPA-EFE.</strong></em></span></span></span></div><p>TOKYO, Japan -- Japan&#x27;s Moon lander has been put back to sleep after it surprisingly survived the freezing, two-week lunar night, the country&#x27;s space agency said, with another operation attempt scheduled for later this month.</p><p>The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down in January at a wonky angle that left its solar panels facing the wrong way.</p><p>As the sun&#x27;s angle shifted, it came back to life for two days and carried out scientific observations of a crater with a high-spec camera.</p><p>This week, the SLIM probe, which was &quot;not designed for the harsh lunar nights,&quot; when the temperature plunges to minus 133 degrees, produced another surprise by waking up after two weeks.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/26/japan-moon-lander-revives-after-lunar-night-1725">READ: Japan Moon lander revives after lunar night</a></div><p>&quot;SLIM has gone to sleep again as the sun set after 3 am (Japan Time) on March 1,&quot; the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, alongside an image of the rocky lunar surface captured by the probe.</p><p>&quot;Although the likelihood of failure will increase due to the severe temperature cycles, we will attempt SLIM operation again when the sunlight comes back in late March,&quot; JAXA said.</p><p>The announcement comes after the uncrewed American lander Odysseus became the first private spaceship on the Moon.</p><p>The lander sent its final image on Thursday before its power banks depleted.</p><p>SLIM, dubbed the &quot;Moon Sniper&quot; for its precision landing technology, touched down within its target landing zone on January 20.</p><p>The feat was a win for Japan&#x27;s space program after a string of recent failures, making the nation only the fifth to achieve a &quot;soft landing&quot; on the Moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/01/11/24/why-landing-on-the-moon-is-still-tough-in-2024">READ: Why landing on the moon is still tough in 2024</a></div><p>The aim of the mission is to examine a part of the Moon&#x27;s mantle -- the usually deep inner layer beneath its crust -- that is believed to be accessible.</p><p>NASA is planning to return astronauts to the Moon later this decade.</p><p>The US, along with international partners, wants to eventually develop long-term habitats in the region, harvesting polar ice for drinking water -- and for rocket fuel for eventual onward voyages to Mars.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SD_QdZc4Pmw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Japan's Moon lander has been put back to sleep after it surprisingly survived the freezing, two-week lunar night, the country's space agency said.</p>

Japan's Moon lander has been put back to sleep after it surprisingly survived the freezing, two-week lunar night, the country's space agency said.

Japan Moon lander put to sleep after surviving lunar night

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Japan Moon lander put to sleep after surviving lunar night

Agence France-Presse

Published March 02, 2024 11:33 AM PHT

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Smart Lander for Investigating Moon

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