TOKYO — Japan's moon explorer that landed on the lunar surface in January is expected to end its service after recent failed attempts to contact it, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The space agency sought to resume communication with the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, last month and over the past seven days, but it has been unsuccessful to confirm a response, JAXA said Thursday, noting "it is highly unlikely it will respond in the future."

The explorer has remained in operation for longer than anticipated, surprisingly surviving three lunar nights, each lasting about two weeks

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The explorer has remained in operation for longer than anticipated, surprisingly surviving three lunar nights, each lasting about two weeks, when temperatures could plummet to minus 170 degrees Celsius, JAXA added.

SLIM, dubbed the "moon sniper" for its precision landing technology, achieved a pinpoint landing with an unprecedented precision of less than 100 meters from intended targets, as opposed to conventional landers that often have an accuracy of within several kilometers.

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The touchdown has made Japan the world's fifth lunar landing country.