A MOON rover is within hours of conking out tonight because of a solar power glitch.
Yesterday, Japan became the fifth country to land one on the lunar surface after a three-day mission.
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But the “Smart Lander for Investigating Moon” (SLIM) stopped sending signals this afternoon.
The craft – which achieved a “precision landing” of within 100metres of its target – had been left crippled as its solar panels were not able to generate electricity.
It means the SLIM’s batteries cannot be recharged and will run out by tomorrow night, cutting Japan’s first moon mission short.
It is feared the rover may have its solar panels at the wrong angle.
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But it could be revived next month as the sun’s direction alters.
Space agency chief Hitoshi Kuninaka added: “It takes 30 days for the solar angle to change on the moon.
“So when the solar direction changes, and the light shines from a different direction, the light could end up hitting the solar cell.”
