The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has ended operations with the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) which it landed on Earth's only natural satellite in January.
What is Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)? | DW News
JAXA pulled the plug on Friday and announced the end of the mission on Tuesday.
SLIM landed on the moon on January 19, using its autonomous systems to select a landing site just ten meters from its target location. That part of the mission was a success, because JAXA wanted to pioneer self-landing technology so that future craft could find a safe landing site instead of having to rely on other assets.
While SLIM landed on the target, the craft quickly ran into problems. Its solar panels collected less energy than expected as the lander came to rest on its side and sustained damage. JAXA shut it down with enough power left in the batteries to enable a restart.
