{"id":41602,"date":"2007-09-14T00:07:23","date_gmt":"2007-09-13T16:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/japan-launches-h-iia-sending-selene-on-a-journey-to-the-moon\/"},"modified":"2007-09-14T00:07:23","modified_gmt":"2007-09-13T16:07:23","slug":"japan-launches-h-iia-sending-selene-on-a-journey-to-the-moon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/japan-launches-h-iia-sending-selene-on-a-journey-to-the-moon\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan launches H-IIA sending SELENE on a journey to the moon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Japan are heading to the moon following the launch of their SELENE (SELenological and ENgineering Explorer called \u201cKAGUYA\u201d) Lunar Orbiter, via a H-IIA (2022) launch vehicle from the Yoshinobu Complex at Tanegashima. Launch was on time at 9:31pm Eastern.\n<\/p>\n<p>  NASASpaceflight.com covered the launch as a live event, with background, images, live updates and a free launch video \u2013 all available on the links below (read more).\n<\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"129\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" src=\"http:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/forums\/get-attachment.asp?action=view&amp;attachmentid=13910\" width=\"600\" align=\"left\" vspace=\"5\" border=\"0\/\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#0000ff\">**LIVE EVENT PAGES FOR H-IIA\/SELENE**<\/font><\/p>\n<p><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><\/em><em><font color=\"#3300ff\">**FREE <font color=\"#0000ff\">H-IIA\/SELENE<\/font> Launch Video**<\/font><\/em><em> \u2013 (<\/em><em><font size=\"1\">Free to all forum members (registration is free \u2013 we do not use your e-mail for spam, only to send you your forum password \u2013 which is automated).<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><u><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">Reaction<br \/><\/font><\/u><\/em><br \/><!--StartFragment --><font face=\"Arial\"><\/font><font size=\"2\">\u2018We successfully launched the rocket and released the orbiter from the rocket,\u2019 said Eriko Sunada, of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font size=\"2\"><br \/>\n<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font size=\"2\">\u201c<!--StartFragment --><\/font><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">The launch vehicle flew smoothly, and, at about 45 minutes and 34 seconds after liftoff, the separation of the KAGUYA was confirmed,\u201d JAXA added.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe would like to express our profound appreciation for the cooperation and support of all related personnel and organizations that helped contribute to the successful launch of the KAGUYA aboard the H-IIA F13. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the time of the launch, the weather was clear, a wind speed was 5.9 m\/second from the East South East, and the temperature was 29.8 degrees Celsius.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>More will follow\u2026<\/p>\n<p><\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/font><em><u><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">Mission background:<br \/><\/font><\/u><\/em><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"125\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" src=\"http:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/forums\/get-attachment.asp?action=view&amp;attachmentid=9361\" width=\"125\" align=\"left\" vspace=\"5\" border=\"0\/\"><\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">The 2022 variant of the H-IIA (H2A) is a two stage liquid-fuelled vehicle, with two solid rocket boosters and two Strap-on Boosters (SSBs). This version of the H-IIA was last launched at the start of 2006, carrying the four ton Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS). <\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">The original launch date was postponed due to the replacement work of parts in the two onboard baby satellites of the \u2018KAGUYA\u2019 as announced on July 20, 2007. The replacement was successfully completed allowing for a rescheduling to September, before being refined again to the morning (Japanese time) of the 14th.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/p>\n<p>The vehicle will place SELENE into a highly elliptical earth orbit. The spacecraft will complete two orbits before propelling itself toward the Moon, with that journey to lunar polar orbit taking five days.<\/p>\n<p>The mass of \u2018KAGUYA\u2019 at lift-off is approximately three metric tons including two small satellites (Relay Satellite and VRAD Satellite), which will eventually orbit 100 km above the Moon for a one year mission. The Relay Satellite will be separated in an elliptical orbit with an apolune altitude of 2400 km, and the VRAD Satellite will be separated with an apolune altitude of 800 km.<\/p>\n<p><\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/font><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">The $272-million SELENE project is the largest lunar mission \u2013 and the most sophisticated lunar exploration mission \u2013 since the Apollo program. Under this project, a main satellite will orbit 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the moon for one year while two smaller satellites will orbit above its poles. The satellites will carry out 14 missions, including measuring the moon\u2019s gravity and determining its origin and evolution. <\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><br \/>\n<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/font><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">\u2018Apollo\u2019s principal task was to send humans to the moon, and scientific experiments were the secondary aim. We need to research (the entire moon) in detail,\u2019 says JAXA\u2019s Professor Seiichi Sakamoto.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/p>\n<p>\u2018We are trying to draw a map (of the moon) \u2013 with valuable information about what kinds of minerals exist in which areas or possible distributions of ice. Understanding the moon\u2019s origin and evolution is linked to understanding the Earth.\u2019 <\/p>\n<p><\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/font><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">SELENE will observe the distribution of the elements and minerals on the surface, the surface and sub-surface structure, the gravity field, the remnant of the magnetic field, and the environment of energetic particles and plasma of the Moon. The scientific data will also be used for exploring the possibilities of the future utilization of the Moon.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><br \/>\n<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">JAXA will also establish the basic technologies for future Moon exploration, such as, lunar polar orbit insertion, 3-axis attitude control and thermal control in lunar orbit, utilizing 15 onboard instruments. The X-ray Spectrometer and the Gammaray Spectrometer will provide data on the elemental composition of the lunar surface. The Multi-band Imager and Spectral Profiler will provide data on mineralogical composition. <\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">Data on the surface and subsurface structure, obtained by Terrain Camera, Laser Altimeter and Lunar Radar Sounder, will give key information on the tectonic history of the Moon. The lunar Magnetometer is used to determine the remnant magnetic field of the Moon.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">The lunar environment will be investigated by the Charged Particle Spectrometer and Plasma Analyzer. The Upper atmosphere and Plasma Imager utilizes the unique position of the Moon for imaging the plasmasphere of the Earth.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">The Relay Satellite will relay the Doppler ranging signal between the Main Orbiter and the ground station for the world\u2019s first direct measurement of the gravity field in the farside of the Moon. The differential VLBI Radio-Sources on board the Relay Satellite and the VRAD Satellite are used to determine the gravity field of the Moon most precisely. <\/font><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">The radio signal from the VRAD satellite is used for detecting the tenuous lunar ionoshere. In addition, the High Definition Television System will take pictures and movies of the Earth-rise from the Moon horizon.<br \/><\/font><br \/><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"60\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" src=\"http:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/forums\/get-attachment.asp?action=view&amp;attachmentid=12993\" width=\"468\" align=\"left\" vspace=\"5\" border=\"0\/\"><\/font><\/p>\n<p><em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><em>**NASASpaceflight.com Job Opportunities**<\/em><\/font><\/em><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">&nbsp;<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><br \/>\n<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Japan are heading to the moon following the launch of their SELENE (SELenological and ENgineering Explorer called \u201cKAGUYA\u201d) Lunar Orbiter, via a H-IIA (2022) launch vehicle from the Yoshinobu Complex at Tanegashima. Launch was on time at 9:31pm Eastern. NASASpaceflight.com covered the launch as a live event, with background, images, live updates and a free [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41602"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41602\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}