Japan Ends Extension Of SLIM Explorer Wahana Mission On The Moon

UNSPLASH/NASA ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Japan ended the extension of its exploration mission on the Moon after losing contact with the country's lunar rover, the country's space agency said in a statement.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it ended the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) operation on the Moon's surface on Friday.

Reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 27, the cessation of operations was carried out after JAXA failed to establish communication with SLIM rovers during the operational period from May to July 2024. The last contact with the vehicle was carried out on April 28, 2024.

In January this year, Japan managed to land a SLIM rover on the Moon.

This success made Japan the fifth country to achieve this achievement after the former Soviet Union, US, China and India. "Detailed summary of the achievement of SLIM will be drawn up and reported separately in the near future," the agency said.