TOKYO —?The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has issued the following statement:
“JAXA confirms that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) successfully landed on the Moon surface on Jan. 20, 2024, at 0:20 am (JST). Communication with spacecraft has been established after the landing.
“However, the solar cells are currently not generating power, and priority is given to data acquisition from the SLIM on the moon.
“Detailed analysis of the acquired data will be conducted in the future, and we will continue to share any updates on the situation.”
Japan joins the former Soviet Union, the U.S., China and India as the only countries to have achieved lunar landings.
The explorer was launched on an H2A rocket on Sept. 7 last year from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on Dec. 25.