The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) started a demanding “space maneuver” today at 4 p.m. in an attempt to land on the surface of the Moon for the first time. So far, only four countries have succeeded – the USA, China, the former Soviet Union and India.
According to the latest information, the lander has landed on the surface of the Moon, but for now it is not known whether it was a successful or “soft landing”. A soft landing on the Moon means the controlled descent of a spacecraft to the surface without significant damage to the spacecraft.
A hard landing means landing on the ground, which results in significant damage to the aircraft, and often loss of contact.
JAXA stated at the press conference that it has contact with the lander, but that the solar panels are not generating power. They stated that they are trying to receive and analyze additional data. So far most of the systems seem to be working, but the power issue still remains.
“We consider it a successful landing because we achieved most of the set goals. As for the solar cells, they don’t generate electricity, a possible problem is that the panels are not facing the right direction. For now, we are using the battery. We don’t know how long the battery will last; maybe a few hours,” it was pointed out at the press conference.
Kuninaka, director general of the Japan Space Agency, says that as the moon’s position changes, sunlight could hit the solar cells, which could charge its battery. However, he adds, it could take more than a month, Klix.ba writes.
Photo ©️ ispace via AP
