The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the "Kaguya" (Shining Princess) lunar exploration probe Sept. 14. It is now on its way to the moon, 380,000 km away. Kaguya marks the biggest moon mission since the 1969-72 U.S. Apollo flights. It is hoped that the probe, launched by an H-IIA rocket, will obtain valuable clues to the origin and evolution of the moon.
It is also hoped that high-resolution images of the moon sent from Kaguya's camera will excite people worldwide, including children, and help them develop an interest in space science.
Kaguya's main orbiter is expected to start orbiting the moon three weeks after the launch and go into a circular observation orbit 100 km above the moon in late October. It is also expected to start transmitting scientific data to JAXA within the year. In addition to the main orbiter — 2.1 meters long, 2.1 meters wide and 4.8 meters high — Kaguya has two 50-kg satellites that will be placed in elliptical orbits to study the moon's gravitational fields.