--- title: "Japan Trying to Bring Dead Moon Lander Back to Life" description: "  Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lander had to be shut down just three hours after touching down on the lunar surface last week. The lander, which technically speaking still managed to make Japan the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, didn't quite stick the landing. For […]" date: "2024-01-22" modified: "2024-01-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/japan-dead-moon-lander-back-to-life" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "Japan" - "JAXA" - "lunar lander" - "moon" - "the digest" --- # Japan Trying to Bring Dead Moon Lander Back to Life ![Japan's Moon lander had to be shut down just three hours after touching down. There's still a small chance it can recharge its batteries.]() *\Image: JAXA\* ## Bring Me to Life Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lander had to be shut down just three hours after touching down on the lunar surface last week. The lander, which technically speaking still managed to make Japan the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, [didn't quite stick the landing](). For hours, teams at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency struggled to get the spacecraft to charge its batteries using its solar panels. As it turns out, the issue is that the panels were pointing west and away from the Sun. While that may sound like the small spacecraft's fate is sealed, JAXA isn't ready to give up just yet. There's still a chance SLIM may jump back to life, giving it a potentially new lease on life. "If sunlight hits the Moon from the west in the future, we believe there's a possibility of power generation, and we're currently preparing for restoration," JAXA [wrote in a new statement](). ## Going Under At first, the mission appeared to go as planned, with the spacecraft making a controlled descent to the Moon's cratered surface. Several hours of radio silence from JAXA followed, triggering speculation about the lander's fate. Behind the scenes, teams had to act quickly as battery capacity was diminishing quickly. "The battery was disconnected according to our procedures with 12 percent power remaining, in order to avoid a situation where the restart (of the lander) would be hampered," the latest statement reads. Scientists are now poring over the data SLIM managed to collect before it went dark. "We were able to complete the transmission of technical and image data acquired during the descent and on the lunar surface before the power was switched off," JAXA said. "We’re relieved and beginning to get excited after confirming a lot of data has been obtained." It's a glimmer of hope — with the possibility of the Sun charging the spacecraft's solar panels still on the table, scientists are eager to have SLIM jump back into action. And even if it doesn't, it's still a considerable feat that's worth celebrating, especially considering all of the [failed landing attempts]() that preceded it. "The post-landing posture didn’t go as planned, but we may be able to produce plenty of results and we’re happy that the landing succeeded," JAXA's statement reads. **More on the mission:** *[Japanese Moon Lander Dying After Touching Down on Lunar Surface]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()