Surprise! Japan’s SLIM Moon Lander Wakes Up After a Freezing Night

Illustration: SLIM lander on the moon
An artist's conception shows Japan's SLIM lander in its upended position on the lunar surface. (Credit: JAXA)

Japan’s space agency didn’t expect its wrong-side-up SLIM moon lander to revive itself after powering down for a circuit-chilling lunar night on Feb. 1. But that’s exactly what happened.

“Last night, a command was sent to SLIM and a response received, confirming that the spacecraft has made it through the lunar night and maintained communication capabilities!” the SLIM mission team reported today in a posting to X / Twitter.

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