Slim lander landed on the moon (image taken by the rolling rover)
JAXA/Takara Tomy/Sony Group Corporation/Doshisha University
Japan’s lunar lander has sent back its first images. The Lunar Survey Smart Lander (SLIM) landed on the lunar surface on January 18th, and operators from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have released some of the images sent back from the lunar surface.
When SLIM landed, its solar panels were not properly oriented toward the sun, so it operated on battery power for several hours before shutting down. JAXA engineers put it into sleep mode before the battery completely dies so that it can be turned on again when the sun is in a suitable position in the sky to illuminate the solar panels.
During these few hours of battery power, the lander took as many measurements as possible and sent them back to Earth, revealing details of the surrounding area. But perhaps the most impressive measurements came from the small spacecraft, Lunar Explorer-1 (LEV-1) and her LEV-2. The spacecraft released them just before landing, and they fell to the surface and began walking around and taking pictures of themselves.
The above photo was taken with LEV-2. LEV-2 is a sphere slightly smaller than a tennis ball, designed to roll on the ground without relying on wheels. It shows the SLIM spacecraft perched on the slope of the Sioli Crater on the moon. LEV-1 uses a type of hopping motion to traverse the Earth’s surface and carries equipment that can transmit signals directly to Earth. This means the rover can continue exploring and transmit information back home, even though the lander itself is hibernating.
topic:
- moon/
- space exploration