The Japanese SLIM probe, which landed on the Moon in January, was deactivated once again, after enduring its second lunar night, with freezing temperatures equivalent to two Earth weeks, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported on Monday. ).
On Thursday, JAXA announced that the SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) module had withstood the terrible long lunar night, when temperatures drop to -130 °C, and sent new images.
The probe had already faced a first lunar night in February.
Although the device’s lifespan has exceeded the expectations of scientists, who did not design it for these harsh conditions, SLIM is beginning to show wear and tear.
“We control its status by successively turning on and off several of its devices”, JAXA explained this Monday on the X social network.
The module’s multispectral camera, essential for its rock analysis, can be activated but with “some dysfunctionalities”, according to the agency.
Since landing on January 20, SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) has alternated active phases with periods of rest.
Japan is the fifth country to successfully land on Earth’s satellite after the United States, Soviet Union, China and India.
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