TOKYO: Japan on Saturday became the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon, but solar power issues threatened to cut short the nation’s mission to prove a "precision" landing technology and revitalise a space programme that has suffered setbacks.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) landed the moon's surface at around 12:20 a.m. (1520 GMT Friday), but its solar panels were not able to generate electricity, possibly because they are angled wrong.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Play, subscribe and stand a chance to win prizes worth over RM39,000! T&C applies.
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
