“a Photos of Japan’s robotic lunar lander Even though the spaceship actually made it. 250,000 miles A trip to the moon, it landed upside down…’ mashable.
The space agency said the lander was now in an apparently inverted position, meaning its solar panels were not properly oriented to generate electricity. The research team chose to save power by shutting down the spacecraft about two and a half hours after landing.
Perhaps as surprising as the photo of the lander is how it was taken. Two small rovers separated from the unoccupied mothership shortly before landing.It was one of those baseball sized robot It was possible to capture an image of the spacecraft with its head in the moon dust.rover made with the help of Japanese toy manufacturer Takara Tomysplits the sphere in half to expose a pair of cameras facing front and back. The two hemispheres also serve as the rover’s wheels. “The company is probably best known for being the first to develop Transformers, alien robots that could disguise themselves as machines,” said Elizabeth Tasker, who gave an English commentary on the moon landing on January 20.
The space agency still doesn’t fully understand what went wrong. Approximately 55 yards above ground, the spacecraft performed an obstacle avoidance maneuver as part of a pinpoint landing demonstration. Just before this step, one of the two main engines ceased thrust, disorienting the lander. JAXA continues to investigate the cause of the engine trouble…Even though the spacecraft is currently sleeping, the SLIM team Haven’t lost hope for recovery. With its solar panels facing west, the lander could still capture the rays and generate electricity. According to mission officials, SLIM could wake up even if the angle of sunlight changes.
But it has to happen soon. On February 1st, the moon will experience nightfall, with temperatures below freezing. The spacecraft was not built to withstand such conditions.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft passed over the landing site at an altitude of about 50 miles (80 km) and took a snap. our own photos They say this indicates a “slight change in reflectivity around the lander due to engine exhaust sweeping over the surface.”