Japan says Moon lander 'resumed operations'

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said Monday that its moon lander has resumed operations after regaining power. The probe Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) landed on the lunar surface on January 20, but its solar panels were not able to generate electricity because they were facing the wrong direction.

The probe was now likely able to generate power in the sunlight's direction, the space agency said. With the mission, Japan became the fifth nation to achieve a soft lunar landing, after the US, the Soviet Union, China and India.