Japan’s ‘moon sniper’ probe made incredibly accurate landing but is now upside down | The moon | The Guardian
The article discusses Japan’s recent moon landing mission and the challenges it faced. Despite successfully landing on the lunar surface, the spacecraft, named SLIM, ended up upside down due to a malfunction with its solar panels. This unexpected turn highlights the difficulty of lunar landings, even after decades of space exploration. However, the mission achieved its primary goal of a pinpoint landing, demonstrating remarkable precision. The article also describes how small rovers deployed from the spacecraft captured images, including one showing the lander’s inverted position. The cause of the malfunction is still under investigation by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Landing on the moon remains challenging due to factors like the lack of atmosphere and GPS systems. Although the spacecraft is currently inactive, there is hope for recovery if it can catch sunlight to generate power before the lunar night sets in.
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