Japan launches an H-2A rocket carrying the Selenological and
Engineering Explorer, the country's first lunar probe satellite, on
Friday from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Kagoshima
Prefecture.
The rocket, which is named "Kaguya" after Japanese ancient
fable, lifted off as scheduled at 10:31 AM from the center on the
Pacific off Japan's southern Kyushu Island. The satellite and the
launch vehicle successfully separated at 11:16 AM.
The satellite has entered the projected orbit to run around the
earth twice, after which it will start its about 20 days of journey
to reach the moon, agency officials said.
Kaguya, which consists of a 3-ton main orbiter and two 50-
kilogram sub-satellites, is equipped with 14 scientific instruments
and a high-definition television camera, according to the agency's
introduction.
The rocket was made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. This is
the first time for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to
contract with a company on the construction and launch of a rocket
in order to reduce costs and boost Japan's international
competitiveness in the space business, Kyodo News said.
Kaguya will be the highest performing lunar probe satellite and
start the world's first full-scale mission to explore the moon
since the US Apollo program, Kyodo quoted agency officials as
saying.
Under the 55 billion yen project, the satellite is to begin its
10-month mission around December, collecting lunar features related
with the origin and evolution of the moon.
Kaguya's originally planned launch was in August, when fault
installment of two components postponed the schedule.
(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2007)
