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Japan's Moon Lander Is Lying On Its Side After Hitting Its Target

Now we know why Japan's lunar lander wasn't able to recharge its batteries after touching down on the moon last week: The spacecraft appears to have tumbled onto its side, with its solar cells facing away from the sun. The good news is that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, achieved its primary mission of setting down within 100 meters (330 feet) of its target point --- and that the mission's two mini-probes, which were ejected during SLIM's descent, are working as intended.

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