A photo taken on the moon by the Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon is seen in this image from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Takara Tomy, Sony Group Corp. and Doshisha University. The lines in the middle are the result of a data gap.
17:44 JST, February 26, 2024
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) was reactivated on Sunday evening and restored communications with Earth, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced on Monday.
SLIM had been inactive since January 31, when it stopped operations on the lunar surface because its solar panel could not generate power after night fell on its part of the moon.
Recovery was expected to be difficult due to the harsh conditions on the moon, where temperatures drop to around minus 170 degrees Celsius during the lunar night. But after the night, which lasted about two Earth weeks, SLIM was successfully reactivated as it was exposed to sunlight again.
