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Planetary News: Kaguya (SELENE) (2007)Kaguya Rockets Toward the MoonInternational Lunar Decade BeginsBy Emily LakdawallaSeptember 14, 2007
Today, in a picture-perfect liftoff, the 13th flight of Japan's H-II A launch vehicle propelled the Kaguya spacecraft toward the Moon. Kaguya, also known as SELENE, is a three-ton spacecraft with two mini-spacecraft that will explore the Moon's geology and geophysics. It is the first in a new, international fleet of lunar orbiters to be launched over the next year. Kaguya is presently in Earth orbit and is operating normally. It will transfer to lunar orbit on October 3, after which it will release its two mini-satellites before settling in for science observations on October 21. The launch occurred at 10:31:01 Japan Standard Time (01:31:01 UTC) on September
14, 2007. Since then, the spacecraft has separated from the launch vehicle,
deployed its solar "paddle," established 3-axis attitude control,
and deployed its high-gain antenna. The spacecraft is carrying with it 400,000
names collected by JAXA and The Planetary Society through a "Wish
Upon the Moon"
campaign. Kaguya's launch kicks off a new era of lunar exploration. Since the end of the Apollo and Luna programs, few spacecraft have traveled to the Moon, and most of these were intended to test new technologies, with lunar science being only a secondary goal. Kaguya brings science back to the forefront; consisting of three independent spacecraft, it will be able to perform detailed measurements of the Moon's gravitational and magnetic fields that cannot be achieved with single-spacecraft designs. Kaguya's mission will proceed according to the following timeline:
Japan has flown planetary missions before, including Sakigake and Suisei, to comet Halley; Hiten, to the Moon; Nozomi, which was intended to reach Mars; and Hayabusa, to asteroid Itokawa. Kaguya now blazes the trail for two missions from countries that have not previously participated in the challenge of planetary exploration. China plans to launch its Chang'E 1 orbiter later this year, and India will enter the field with Chandrayaan-1 in the summer of next year. NASA will bring up the rear with its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, planned for launch in October 2008. With so many nations, and perhaps private groups, focused on going to the Moon, The Planetary Society has proposed an International Lunar Decade to help coordinate these disparate efforts and to share the results with the world. The International Lunar Decade would commence in 2007 with the launches of Japan's Kaguya mission (formerly known as SELENE) and China's Chang'E. It would end when humans return to the Moon. The International Lunar Decade has now been endorsed by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group and COSPAR (the International Council of Scientific Unions' Committee on Space Research), and has received foundation support from the Secure World Foundation. In addition, the concept has been presented to the International Astronautical Federation General Assembly for consideration, and the Society plans to present it to the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). |
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