According to Japan’s space agency, their moon lander has produced yet another surprise by successfully reactivating after a two-week lunar night. This occurred on Monday.

Last month, the unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) landed at an awkward angle, misaligning its solar panels.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), for two days, the sun’s position changed and it reactivated to conduct scientific research on a crater using a high-quality camera.

It fell back asleep when the darkness returned, and JAXA was unsure if it would wake up since it wasn’t built to withstand the harsh lunar nights.

On Monday, JAXA (formerly known as Twitter) stated that a command was sent yesterday and received a response from SLIM.

“SLIM managed to endure a night on the Moon’s surface and maintain its ability to communicate!”

The communication was cut off due to the extreme heat of the communication equipment during lunar midday.

However, the following statement was also included: “Plans are in place to recommence operations once the temperature of the instruments has cooled down enough.”

The statement also mentioned, “Arrangements are being prepared to restart operations once the instrument temperatures have cooled down sufficiently.”

On January 20, SLIM successfully landed within its intended target area using its precise landing technology, earning it the nickname “Moon Sniper”.

The accomplishment was a success for Japan’s space initiative following a series of recent disappointments. It marks the nation as the fifth to achieve a “soft landing” on the moon, following the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India.

However, while descending, the vehicle encountered engine issues and ultimately landed on its side. This resulted in the solar panels facing towards the west instead of the intended upward direction.

The most recent update follows JAXA’s celebration of a successful launch for their new flagship H3 rocket on February 17th. This marks the third attempt, after multiple delays and two unsuccessful tries in the past.

Other nations such as Russia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are also making efforts to reach the moon.

On Thursday, the Odysseus lander, constructed by a private company and supported by NASA, successfully landed near the southern end of the moon. This marks the first American spacecraft to reach the moon since the Apollo missions.

The US spacecraft is likely positioned sideways after its exciting landing, according to its creator. However, efforts are being made by ground controllers to retrieve data and surface images from the spacecraft.

Last year, a private Japanese company called ispace made a similar attempt to land on the moon. However, the probe experienced a “hard landing” and communication was lost.