Japan launched the Moon exploration satellite

Japan has successfully launched the Moon SELENE exploration satellite, worth $ 279 million. Scientists will use data from SELENE to study the origin and evolution of the Moon.

On October 5, a spokesman for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the mission consists of a main satellite and two smaller satellites operating in the extreme.

The Moon Research Exploration Satellite (Selenological and Engineering Explorer - SELENE) is worth 279 million UDS. Japanese officials claim this is the biggest moon exploration plan since the Apollo - US program ended.

Scientists will use data from SELENE to study the origin and evolution of the Moon.

SELENE was launched on Thursday night, October 4 and confirmed the orbit position on Friday morning. SELENE will slowly move into orbit and conduct mapping and analysis of the moon's surface. This mission will start in the middle of the week or the end of December.

Japan's SELENE moon probe has been successfully launched.(Photo: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov)

This project marks a step forward for Japanese space science. Japanese scientists began launching the first satellite in 1972, but the race with China is now beginning. In 1990, Japan launched the Moon probe satellite in 1990, but it was a mere flight. They canceled another project in 2004 because of financial and technical issues.

Later than JAXA's expected four-year program, SELENE was launched after China announced it would launch its moon-exploration satellite at the end of 2007.

China continues to lead Japan in competition for the universe. In 2003, China shocked the world when it became the first Asian country to successfully launch a spacecraft carrying people into space, after Russia and the United States.

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