An unmanned lunar spacecraft has achieved more than expected by capturing and transmitting data analyzing 10 lunar rocks. This accomplishment is significant as it could provide valuable clues about the origin of the moon, according to a Japan space agency official.
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), Japan's first lunar mission, successfully landed on the moon last month. Despite landing upside down initially, with its solar panels unable to see the sun, the spacecraft managed to reestablish communication with Earth after being turned off briefly. It has been working diligently for the past four days, using its multi-band spectral camera to study rock composition and examining lunar rocks.
Shortly after SLIM was reactivated, it transmitted a black-and-white photo showing the rough lunar surface, including six rocks. Remarkably, the craft collected data from a total of 10 rocks during its mission, each of which has been given a name based on different dog breeds like 'Akitainu,' 'Beagle,' and 'Shibainu.'
According to Shinichiro Sakai, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency project manager, the purpose of analyzing these rocks is to uncover the moon's origin. By comparing the mineral compositions of moon rocks with those on Earth, researchers hope to determine if any common elements exist between the two. The prevailing 'giant-impact' hypothesis suggests that the moon was formed when another planet collided with the Earth, causing a smaller mass to spin off.
The Japanese research team had originally anticipated SLIM to only study and analyze one rock. Therefore, the availability of data on 10 rocks is cause for celebration and motivates the team to delve deeper into understanding the moon's origins.
Currently, SLIM is in a phase of dormancy during a lunar night that will extend until late February. The main concern is whether the probe and its spectroscope will survive the severe cold temperatures of the night and successfully 'wake up' once sunlight returns.
During its precise landing, SLIM touched down about 55 meters away from its intended target near the Shioli crater. This is a notable achievement considering previous moon missions typically aimed for flat areas at least 10 kilometers wide. Although the lander encountered a last-minute engine failure that caused a harder-than-planned landing, if this issue hadn't occurred, JAXA estimated that SLIM would have landed within meters of its target.
SLIM also carried two autonomous probes, which were released just before touchdown. These probes recorded the landing, surroundings, and other lunar data. Although they have completed their initial tasks and are no longer functional, their contributions to the mission were invaluable.
With its successful lunar landing, Japan has now become the fifth country in the world to reach the moon, following the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India. This achievement showcases Japan's growing capabilities in space exploration and positions the country as a key player in the quest for scientific knowledge about our celestial neighbor.
