NASA on Friday released images taken on the moon’s surface by one of Japan’s Smart Lander for Lunar Exploration (SLIM) satellites that successfully made a pinpoint landing.
According to NASA, images taken by the lunar reconnaissance vehicle at an altitude of about 80 kilometers before and after landing show slight changes in the reflectivity around the lander as engine exhaust gases sweep across the surface. .
Last Saturday, Japan became the fifth country to land a probe on the moon, following the former Soviet Union, the United States, China and India.
The spacecraft landed approximately 55 meters from its target location, completing the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) mission to land with unprecedented precision.
However, although it landed as planned near the Shiori Crater in a low-altitude region known as the “Sea of Honey,” the SLIM’s orientation shifted and its built-in solar panels did not operate properly, making it unable to generate electricity. facing the sun.
JAXA said the unexpected orientation could be due to one of the two main engines losing thrust at an altitude of 50 meters above the surface, meaning that if the west side of the moon is exposed to sunlight, it will not be able to generate electricity. He said it could start.
SLIM successfully deployed a palm-sized robot called SORA-Q just before landing, and JAXA announced on Thursday that it had successfully captured images of SLIM tilting on the moon’s surface.
