Japan Restores Connection with Moon Lander

Facts

• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has reconnected with its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lunar spacecraft days after it touched the Moon's surface on Jan. 19.¹
• Dubbed the 'Moon Sniper,' SLIM landed upside down 55 meters (180 feet) from its target, which left its solar panels facing away from the Sun and prompted it into power-saving mode.²
• On the evening of the full Moon, one of SLIM's two mini-rovers captured an image of the misaligned lander. Three days later, the spacecraft regained its power.³
• Now that the Sun has 'awoken' the Moon Sniper, JAXA scientists have reportedly been able to study specific rocks on the lunar surface, with each size being designated a title based on different dog breeds.⁴
• Because the SLIM isn't designed to survive the dark and freezing conditions — which will continue for 14 continuous days during the lunar night — the lander has limited time to conduct its exploration and measurements.¹
• This is Japan's third attempt to reach the lunar surface. In 2022, it failed to land its Omotenashi lunar probe alongside the US' Artemis 1 mission, while a Japanese startup lost contact with its spacecraft after making a 'hard landing' last year.²

Sources: ¹New Scientist, ²Guardian, ³Space.com and ⁴BBC News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Forbes. Japan has entered the space race in a grand fashion, setting aside billions of dollars for the next decade to boost its presence among the stars. As western nations seek to outpace Russia, China, and each other, Japan will be right there with them as it strengthens its national security and even competes in the private sector with the likes of SpaceX.
• Narrative B, as provided by Asia Power Watch. While Japan has certainly impressed the world with its recent space exploration endeavors, more must be done if Tokyo hopes to parallel the likes of China and the US. To achieve this, the government must incentivize more private entrepreneurship. Companies like ispace have gotten off to a solid start, but they will need more funding and space-launch infrastructure before becoming a realistic competitor on the world stage.

Predictions