Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon mission failed to respond to signals sent over the last few days — but all hope is not lost for the tenacious lunar lander. attempted to send signals to SLIM on Friday and Saturday , but was met with no response.
In its short time on the moon, the SLIM mission has already revealed new insights about the moon's surface, including evidence of the mineral olivine — the main component ofContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsOlivine is also believed to be the main component of the lunar mantle, which makes up 90% of the moon's mass.
actually originated from the Earth's mantle," Kazuto Saiki, a professor at Ritsumeikan University, said during a Japan Geoscience Union meeting in Chiba Prefecture on May 27, according to the Japan Times."But the presence of olivine has been confirmed." SLIM represents a new generation of low-cost lunar landers that rely solely on solar cells instead of radioisotope heater units. As a result, the spacecraft was expected to have a shorter operational lifespan and to struggle during"SLIM has already transmitted far more valuable data than we had ever anticipated prior to launch," JAXA said in the post on X."We will continue our recovery efforts to keep it active for as long as possible.
When not writing or reading about science, Samantha enjoys traveling to new places and taking photos! You can follow her on Twitter @Sam_Ashley13. China's Chang'e 6 probe to land on far side of the moon this weekend to return lunar samples to Earth