TOKYO: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, has said it halted the operation of its small lunar lander because night fell at the landing spot, making the probe’s solar cells unable to generate power.

The Small Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, went into sleep after Wednesday’s operation, JAXA said Thursday.

SLIM made a lunar landing Jan. 20, making Japan the fifth country to succeed in such an operation. But it was soon put into a dormant state.

After resuming operation Sunday, the craft captured images of rocks on the lunar surface with its multiband spectroscopic camera unit.

The unmanned lander has completed its observation mission, JAXA said. The agency will examine the data sent from SLIM to look into the origin of the moon.

The night will last about two weeks, sending temperatures there falling far below minus 100 degrees Celsius.

SLIM does not have a function needed to survive such low temperatures, but JAXA will try to put it back into operation as early as mid-February, when the probe will have sunlight.

SLIM touched down near the Shioli crater in Mare Nectaris, or the Sea of Nectar, on the moon in the small hours of Jan. 20.

But one of the two main engines was damaged just before the landing. This caused SLIM to stand on its nose, making it difficult for its solar cells to receive sunlight and generate power as intended.

Its communication with JAXA was restored Sunday after the direction of the sun changed and the cells began generating power.

JIJI Press