Japan's SLIM lunar probe enters dormancy after completing second operation

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) lunar probe, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), has gone dormant again following the completion of its second overnight operation, the agency said on Monday.

In a series of tweets, JAXA revealed that during the second operation, which concluded on March 30, the SLIM team checked the status of various onboard devices by activating switches and applying loads. Despite encountering some malfunctions in the functions of the MBC, the probe continues to operate. The mission team continues to carefully assess its status.

The agency also expressed hope for conducting a third overnight operation around late April, although concerns about the feasibility of this operation remain due to the gradual loss of sensors and other critical functions.

"If SLIM continues to maintain its functionality, the third overnight operation will occur around late April. It is unclear whether the third night will be possible as the sensors and other functions are gradually being lost, but we would appreciate your continued support," the agency tweeted.

SLIMは3/30日未明に二回目の越夜後運用を終え、再び休眠に入りました。今回の運用では、主にいくつかの機器についてスイッチを入れたり、負荷をかけたりして状況確認を行いました。MBCも一部機能の不調はあるもののスイッチは入るため、慎重に状態の確認を進めています。 pic.twitter.com/4oOiU4Es8n

— 小型月着陸実証機SLIM (@SLIM_JAXA) April 1, 2024

SLIM, a small-scale exploration lander designed for pinpoint landings on the Moon's surface, touched down on the lunar surface on January 20, 2024. Its key goal was to achieve a pinpoint landing with an accuracy of less than 100 meters on the lunar surface and also demonstrate obstacle detection techniques by a lightweight probe.