A Japan space agency official announced on Wednesday that an unmanned lunar spacecraft has successfully collected and transmitted data on 10 lunar rocks, surpassing initial expectations. This achievement could potentially offer insights into the moon’s origins.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s project manager, Shinichiro Sakai, reported that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) has been using its multi-band spectral camera to analyze rock composition and study lunar rocks for the past four days since its successful landing on the moon last month.

Japan’s inaugural lunar mission achieved a significant milestone on January 20th with a precise landing. However, the spacecraft initially landed inverted, rendering its solar panels unable to receive sunlight and causing it to shut down after a brief exchange with Earth. Fortunately, on the eighth day, it reactivated and successfully reestablished communication with Earth’s JAXA command center.

A monochromatic image sent shortly after SLIM was turned back on revealed the rough texture of the lunar landscape, including six large boulders. The spacecraft ultimately collected data from a total of 10 boulders, each of which has been designated with a dog breed name such as “Akitainu,” “Beagle,” and “Shibainu.”

Sakai expressed optimism that the examination of the rocks will reveal the moon’s beginnings. By examining the mineral makeups of moon rocks and Earth rocks, they can determine if there are shared elements. The “giant-impact” theory suggests that the moon was created when the Earth collided with another planet, causing a portion to break off and start rotating.

The JAXA team initially planned for SLIM to examine and assess just one rock. However, obtaining data on 10 rocks was a pleasant surprise that motivated the team to further investigate the moon’s origins.

At present, SLIM is in a period of dormancy during a lunar night that is expected to continue until the end of February. It is uncertain whether the probe and its spectroscope will withstand the extreme low temperatures during this time and be able to resume activity when sunlight reappears.

The spaceship successfully touched down approximately 55 meters (60 yards) from its intended destination, close to the Shioli crater, which is characterized by volcanic terrain. This marks the most accurate landing achieved in comparison to past lunar expeditions, which typically targeted flat regions at least 10 kilometers (6 miles) in width.

According to JAXA, the lander would have landed within a few meters of the target if it had not experienced a last-minute malfunction in one of its main engines, resulting in a rougher landing than intended.

The SLIM spacecraft deployed two self-governing probes shortly before landing, capturing footage of the touchdown, environment, and other lunar information. These two compact probes successfully fulfilled their task of recording SLIM’s initial operations and are now inactive.

Japan’s successful landing on the moon marked it as the fifth country in the world to achieve this feat, following the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India.

Source: wral.com