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JAXA / YouTubeThe Japanese lander on the moon
NOS Thursday, 09:24
According to the Japanese space agency, the Japanese lunar lander SLIM landed on the lunar surface a few meters from its desired destination, but is lying on its side.
Last Friday, the space agency JAXA set itself the goal of placing SLIM within 100 meters of the intended landing site. That would be much more accurate than lunar landers from other countries that required a kilometer margin, and we succeeded.
To accurately determine the location, SLIM was programmed to compare its own camera images of the lunar surface with existing satellite photos of the moon during the flight. According to JAXA, this technology could help landers land safely in inhospitable terrain such as the moon’s hilly poles.
Setback
Such a high-precision lunar landing is a welcome development for the Japanese, who successfully completed their landing shortly afterwards landing had to shut down because the solar panels weren’t working properly. The landing data had already been transmitted.
The Japanese have now shared the first photo of the lunar module. It shows that it is on his side. According to JAXA This is likely because one of the spacecraft’s engines eventually failed. The photo was taken by a lunar rover that is the size and shape of a baseball.
Because the lunar module is not positioned correctly, the solar panels on board cannot generate electricity. JAXA hopes the panels will begin collecting sunlight sometime next week.
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