Japan¡¯s lunar lander has defied the odds to survive a third lunar night, surprising even its designers.

Officials from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said Wednesday that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) had successfully reestablished communication and was continuing to take snapshots and probe the lunar surface.

JAXA announced via SLIM¡¯s account on the social media platform X that contact was made on Tuesday. The account also released an image taken by the lander at the earliest point in the moon¡¯s phase so far, resulting in a brighter image overall with shorter shadows.

SLIM was not designed to endure lunar nights, which can last for up to 15 days with temperatures dropping to as low as minus 170 degrees Celsius.

¡°SLIM¡¯s condition will be monitored to clarify areas where deterioration has progressed due to the day and night environments, and where there is less susceptibility,¡± JAXA stated on X.

SLIM touched down on the moon¡¯s surface at 12:20 a.m. on Jan. 20, with Japan thereby joining the United States, Soviet Union, China, Russia and India as the only countries to achieve a soft landing.

However, due to an issue with one of its two onboard main engines, the lander touched down at an unexpected speed and attitude, causing it to land in an upside-down position with its solar cells facing west.

Following its landing, SLIM was unable to generate power and entered a dormant state. JAXA expected the huge drop in temperature from lunar day, where temperatures can reach over 110 C, over the freezing lunar night, potentially spelling doom for the lander.

But SLIM defied expectations when sunlight reached the solar cells eight days later, allowing the lander to power up and send images back to JAXA using its Multiband Spectroscopic Camera.

Following this, JAXA announced last month that SLIM had made it through a two-weeklong second lunar night and was still operational and in communication with Earth.

SLIM¡¯s current mission is to conduct a detailed analysis of the moon¡¯s surface rocks to learn more about the celestial object¡¯s origins. The project involves collaboration between JAXA and researchers from various universities and institutions across Japan, with JAXA leading the initiative.