Moon: Japan's SLIM mission has recovered from its coma

The SLIM robotic rover, which made Japan the fifth country to set foot on the moon, has returned to normal operation nine days after it was placed in standby mode, the Japanese space agency said.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency activated systems that had been turned off to conserve power when the vehicle landed on its side and the solar panels remained in the shade.

But the panels appear to have been exposed to sunlight thanks to a change in the angle at which sunlight now falls, the agency said.

But even if contact with SLIM is lost forever, the mission will be considered a success: the vehicle used a visual navigation system for the first time, thanks to which it landed only 55 meters from the previously determined point.

In previous missions, the discrepancy reached several kilometers.

Mineral resources

Until Japan's moon landing, the only other countries to have made controlled landings on the moon were the United States, Russia, China, and more recently, India.

Japan believes precise lunar landing technology will make it easier to explore Antarctica's rugged terrain, where craters have been discovered whose bottoms remain shrouded in eternal darkness.

It is believed that there are large amounts of ice hidden within, which, along with water for future colonies, can be broken down by electrolysis and give oxygen and hydrogen, which can be used as fuel.

SLIM is located on the outer slope of Xiuli Crater, which lies just south of the Moon's equator and is less than 300 meters in diameter.

On Monday, SLIM continues the science phase of the mission by examining olivine rocks using its multispectral camera.

The moonwalker also launched two small robots that filmed her from a distance.

However, it is still unclear how long the ship will operate. According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, SLIM is not designed to withstand the darkness and cold temperatures of the lunar night, which lasts for two weeks.

The next night begins on Thursday.