Japans First Lander is upside down!

Scarlett Shin '27

Japan's first lunar lander mission successfully reaches the moon. However, it appears the spacecraft is upside down. 

A lunar lander is a probe that is designed to land on the moon. Japan became the fifth country to land on the moon when the SLIM or Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon landed on Saturday the 20th. When one of the engines lost power, the result was a harder, vertical landing on the moon causing it to land on its back.

Despite their setbacks, the lander achieved their target within the 100-meter range, proving to be extremely accurate. The main goal of the mission was to demonstrate the high-precision landing technology, which they managed successfully. It is solar powered therefore, it cannot generate power because it is faced upside down. They are hoping that when the moon enters daytime, they will be able to reestablish contact. 

The probe was able to capture 275 images and transmit them back before losing contact. As of now, officials are looking into why the lunar lander lost its thrust. If the SLIM does recharge, they will be able to take measurements of the rocks composition and more.