SLIM’s goal was to create a crater where the moon’s mantle, typically the deep interior layer beneath its crust, is thought to be exposed at the surface.
JAXA said the two probes successfully separated — one with a transmitter and the other designed to orbit around the moon’s surface to send images to Earth.
This shape-shifting mini-rover, slightly larger than a tennis ball, was co-developed by the firm behind the Transformers toys.
While the accuracy of the touchdown needs to be verified, astronomer Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said: “I think the mission is a huge success.”
He told AFP that the solar panel problem could be caused by several things.
McDowell speculated, “A string had come loose, a string was attached incorrectly, or the lander is upside down and can’t see the sun for some reason.”
The scientist said he was “hopeful” JAXA was able to download images from the landing, but said an experiment to study the composition of moon rocks could be a lost cause.