JAXA Releases First Images of 'SLIM' on Moon

TOKYO, Jan 25 (News On Japan) - Images of Japan's first lunar landing mission by the spacecraft 'SLIM' were released on Thursday.

Set against the backdrop of the moon's gray sandy terrain, is 'SLIM,' which successfully landed on the moon last week. The images were captured by the lunar exploration robot 'SORA-Q,' which was detached from 'SLIM' just before landing.

Post-landing, 'SLIM' has encountered a power generation issue. The images show the solar panels facing the ground, giving the impression that 'SLIM' has flipped over.

A JAXA representative speculated, "(The flipping of 'SLIM') could be due to some external factor that led to damage to the main engine."

On a positive note, JAXA revealed that this mission achieved the world's first pinpoint lunar landing. 'SLIM' managed to land approximately 55 meters east of the initial target site.

by Brian Dentry

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