Japan launches first lunar probe

Japan launches first lunar probe

news.bbc.co.uk

Japan's space agency has successfully launched its first lunar probe on a mission to explore the moon.

A rocket carrying the orbiter blasted off from the space centre on the remote southern island of Tanegashima.

Over the course of a year, the orbiter will gather data on the moon's origin and evolution.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
news.yahoo.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Infrared Moon Images

They finally got it off the ground!

Now this should get some good shots of the activity on the moon, per John Lear.

And this will happen sooner than any launch sponsored by the google X-prize competition.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 13-9-2007 by goosdawg]

[edit on 13-9-2007 by goosdawg]

This actually looks to be quite an ambitious undertaking.

FromSpace.com

Touted by JAXA as the largest lunar mission since NASA's manned Apollo flights, Kaguya is named after a moon princess in a Japanese folktale and carries 14 primary science instruments to map the lunar surface and study its composition, subsurface and gravity field.

I wonder if they'll be taking any ultraviolet images?

i wonder if they will fudge the images like nasa (allegedly)? the one picture i would like to see from space is the flag.

wonder if they will be looking for it?

reply to post by KINGOFPAIN


Would that be a flag planted by the Apollo missions?

Or something else?

It will be in orbit for a while and then NASA or DoD will intervene (in secrecy of course) and then the probe will experience technical problems and spin out of control and crash into the surface or disappear out of the galaxy OR the Japanese will have been "bought" by NASA and we won't see more of what we are already seeing. IF for some weird reason we do see some startling pics they will be carefully pointed out as being reflections from gran's kitchen window on earth and the reflection of the apple pie on the windowsill will totally destroy or blur the pics and in trying to remove the sight of apple pie they will accidentally damage the negatives...

This will be something to watch.

Do you think that Japan believes that NASA went to the moon?

Do you think that they are trying to find evidence of such a mission?

Do you think Japan and the US/NASA are working together on this to ensure that only the data they want us to see is released to the public?

Does Japan have to get any kind of permission to launch such a probe?

Why would NASA support this if they are hiding something? (if in fact they support it)

If they dont support this, how do you think they will react?

What happens if they return evidence of nothing? (assuming this evidence can not be disputed)


BAH!!! I was typing these up and some have already been adressed. Oh well, Ill leave them just in case.

[edit on 9/14/2007 by xout1]

reply to post by shearder


*sigh*

You're probably right, but we can dream, can't we?

Some of their problems three years ago CAN be traced to faulty parts from an American supplier....

MSNBC | Japan’s moon mission faces further delay

Earlier this year, an agency committee said it would be "difficult" for the probe to be launched as scheduled this summer from a space center in southern Japan because some of its thruster valves have been recalled for potential defects by their U.S. manufacturer, Moog Inc.

There IS another, though.

According to the Reuters story on yahoo, China has their own lunar probe going up this year as well:

China plans to launch a lunar orbiter called Chang'e One in the second half of this year to take 3D images, and it aims to land an unmanned vehicle on the moon by 2010.

3D images!!

Now that should be impressive, *if* they don't run into "technical" difficulties as well...

Why in God's name are we poking about the moon like it's 1950. We planted a couple escalades on Mars that are outliving there service by 400 percent. The moon is an enigma. Plato said it was towed here. I have read a naval obseratory thread it changed tragectory once two years ago without further follow up. It is one freaky satellite for sure. It's all about connecting the dots.

Houston we have a problem. These puppies are huge. What are you talking about, what's your status? Did you put down the mirrors? Yep, nothing anomolous here, move along. The moon is 'off limits' to us, it was made loud and clear. The most recent probe mission from nasa clementine beholds an astonishing limited amount of data. All of which you and I pay for. You think something is amiss up there? You betcha.

[edit on 14-9-2007 by jpm1602]

Originally posted by jpm1602...I have read a naval obseratory thread it changed tragectory once two years ago without further follow up...

Changed course!?

Now that would be worth a second look, don't you think?

I did a search but couldn't find anything, do you have a link?

Freaky, for sure!

Unless it's something more than just a natural satellite.

Ah, how humanity is so easily decieved. I stated this in a thread many moons ago, but it was so easily ignored by everyone.

en.wikipedia.org...

Apollo 11 LM ascent stage[2] United States 1969 2184 ?
Apollo 11 LM descent stage United States 1969 2034 0° 40' 26.69"N 23° 28' 22.69" E
Apollo 12 LM ascent stage[2] United States 1969 2164 3.94°S 21.2°W
Apollo 12 LM descent stage
United States 1969 2211 2.99°S 23.34°W
Luna 16 descent stage[3] USSR 1970 < 5727 0.68°S 56.3°E

These are NOT SMALL ARTIFACTS. Why bother waiting for a probe, to see a flag, to see if we went to the moon. When you could find someone with a moderatly high-powered telescope (its not like they are rare anymore) and look at the surface and SEE SUCH THINGS. The co-ords are right there.

Or, as i asked in the other thread, are all of them on a side of the moon conveniantly not visible from earth? Hmm? Any takers?

Originally posted by D.E.M.
These are NOT SMALL ARTIFACTS. Why bother waiting for a probe, to see a flag, to see if we went to the moon. When you could find someone with a moderatly high-powered telescope (its not like they are rare anymore) and look at the surface and SEE SUCH THINGS. The co-ords are right there.

That's simply impossible. There isn't a telescope on Earth that has the resolving power to see those objects.

Update: Woo Hoo! They made orbit!

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has placed a satellite in orbit around the moon for the first time, officials said Friday, in a major space breakthrough for the Asian nation.

The $279 million Selenological and Engineering Explorer — or SELENE — is the largest lunar mission since the U.S. Apollo program in terms of overall scope and ambition.

Source | USAToday | Japan lunar probe reaches orbit; first for country

China's coming up right behind 'em too!

The mission — four years behind JAXA's original schedule — comes as China is planning to launch its own lunar probe. That country's minister of defense and technology told China Central Television in July all was ready for a launch "by the end of the year."

China's Chang'e 1 orbiter will use stereo cameras and X-ray spectrometers to map three-dimensional images of the lunar surface and study its dust.

Source | USAToday | Japan lunar probe reaches orbit; first for country

Sweet, can't wait for the pics and stats!

Originally posted by nataylor

Originally posted by D.E.M.
These are NOT SMALL ARTIFACTS. Why bother waiting for a probe, to see a flag, to see if we went to the moon. When you could find someone with a moderatly high-powered telescope (its not like they are rare anymore) and look at the surface and SEE SUCH THINGS. The co-ords are right there.

That's simply impossible. There isn't a telescope on Earth that has the resolving power to see those objects.

Took me 2 seconds to google:
Can a telescope see the Lunar Landers or Lunar Rovers on the Moon?

Congratulations to the Japanese on their accomplishment.
I look forward to seeing some new pics of the moon.

Originally posted by jpm1602
I have read a naval obseratory thread it changed tragectory once two years ago without further follow up. It is one freaky satellite for sure. It's all about connecting the dots.

Huh?

reply to post by aecreate


Thanks for the tasty link, aecreate!

Lotta info to savor and digest.

sidenote: Cool avatar!

It seems China's moon Mission was supposed to launch before the Japanese one.

Moon Shots: China, Japan In '07; U.S., India In '08

We still have 3 months before 2007 runs out though.
India and the US are slated for Moon Launches early next year!

Lunar Orbital Space is going to get awfully crowded next year!

So here's the launch schedule:

We have the Chinese Chang'e 1 due for launch on the 26th of October 2007:
en.wikipedia.org...'e_program

Then we have the Indian Chandrayaan-1 due for launch in Apr 2008:
en.wikipedia.org...

Finally we have the American Lunar Recon Orbiter in Oct 2008:
en.wikipedia.org...

Interestingly Chandrayaan-1 and the American Lunar Orbiter Probe missions will be linked.Sites surveyed by Chandrayaan-1 will be re-analysed by the LRO for future MoonBase sites.

According to Ben Bussey, senior staff scientist at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, Chandrayaan's imagery will be used to decide the future Moon Base that NASA has recently announced. Bussey told SPACE.com, "India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter, to be lofted in early 2008, has a good shot at further identifying possible water ice-laden spots with a U.S.-provided low-power imaging radar, Bussey advised--one of two U.S. experiments on the Indian Moon probe. The idea is that we find regions of interest with Chandrayaan-1 radar. We would investigate those using all the capabilities of the radar on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Bussey added, a Moon probe to be launched late in 2008."

Finally the Japanese probe just launched will have a pixel resolution of 10 meters, i.e. 10 meters to a pixel(swath 35km). So I doubt we will see any Apollo remanents on this even if SELENE flies right over them.

The chinese Change'1 probe has a pixel resolution of 120 meters(35km swath) so I doubt the chinese will be able to see Apollo pieces as well.

The Indian Chandrayaan probe has a pixel resolution of 5 meters(40 km swath),so there is a slight chance of seeing something there. Again this is very very slight.

Finally the American LRO has a camera(LROC) which has an interesting pixel resolution of 0.5m (5km swath).

So its easy to see the reasoning behind the 'teamwork' between Chandrayaan-1 and LRO.

reply to post by Daedalus3

Wow, great post Daedalus3, but this quote really disappointed me:

"Finally the Japanese probe just launched will have a pixel resolution of 10 meters, i.e. 10 meters to a pixel(swath 35km). So I doubt we will see any Apollo remanents on this even if SELENE flies right over them."

I wish I could say "Don't confuse me with the facts" but your logic dashes any hopes that we could see evidence of moon landing. However, according to this article, it will deploy two smaller orbiters. Are these "mini-probes" or the main satellite what you based your calculations on?

www.space.com...

The mission involves placing the main satellite – called "Kaguya,'' after a legendary moon princess – in a circular orbit at an altitude of about 60 miles and deploying two smaller satellites in elliptical orbits, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA.

I have always been split on my thoughts regarding this. On one hand if they did land I sure would like to know about any evidence of aliens, ufos or moon bases, and then if they never did land it would change history forever.

I sure wish one of the astronauts would "spill the beans" about the lunar landing. Hey, a bunch of them are going to be at this upcoming Autograph convention in England, ( see link below ) perhaps someone could ask them. Kinda strange that they would attend this type of thing. How ironic that there will be other "Celebrities and Actors", like some Oompa Loompas from Willy Wonka. Strange indeed.

www.autographica.co.uk...

And finally, here is a cool auction if anyone is into collecting Space memorablia:

www.astronautscholarship.org...

Sorry if any of this has already been posted.

regards....kk


[edit on 6-10-2007 by kinda kurious]