Japan's moon lander outlasts expectations, endures third lunar night

Japan's first moon lander, known as Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), has successfully withstood a third lunar night, an achievement reported by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Experiencing extreme temperature fluctuations, SLIM endures conditions that can plummet to minus 170 degrees Celsius during the moon's night and can soar to approximately 100 degrees Celsius in lunar daytime. This resilience was not anticipated, as the lander was not initially designed to survive the harsh temperatures of lunar nights.

SLIM landed on the moon on January 20, marking Japan as the fifth nation to successfully deploy a probe on the lunar surface. The lander's survival is particularly significant for JAXA's ongoing scientific investigation, as it enables the agency to continue monitoring the lander's condition. Scientists are particularly interested in analyzing the mineral compositions of moon rocks and comparing them with those found on Earth, which could offer insights into the moon's origins.

The report of SLIM's survival coincides with NASA's recent success in reestablishing contact with Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object from Earth, which has also been transmitting data for several months despite technical difficulties. The continued operation of both SLIM and Voyager 1 contributes valuable information to the broader scientific community's understanding of space environments and celestial bodies.