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Science Japan Sets New Date For SELENE Launch
Michael Hoffman (Blog) - August 16, 2007 5:17 AM

12 comment(s) - last by mindless1.. on Aug 18 at 12:19 AM

JAXA back on track again

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently announced a new date for the launch of the $272-million JAXA "Kaguya" (SELENE) lunar orbit explorer project, which was previously delayed due to mechanical issues.

The Selenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) is said to be the "largest lunar mission since the [U.S.] Apollo program," but has been met with a number of delays over the years. Originally scheduled to launch aboard an H-2A rocket on Aug. 17, JAXA flight engineers discovered crucial hardware that was not installed properly on two satellites.

JAXA was forced to repair and test the new condensers to make sure they can properly work in space.

"Testing showed the parts were functioning normally, but we decided it was better to be safe than sorry," said Tatsuo Oshima, JAXA spokesperson.

The main satellite will orbit around 60 miles above the moon's surface as two smaller satellites will orbit above the moon's poles.

The SELENE project is already four years behind schedule. JAXA hopes the project will be able to help unveil the origin and evolution of the moon.

Much like several other major space organizations, JAXA also has plans for a lunar landing and manned missions to the moon.

The launch will now take place on September 13, at 10:35 JST.

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It all makes sense!

By JasonMick

(blog) on 8/16/2007 8:22:49 AM , Rating: 3

When they took the condensors out of the satellite:

"Whats that tiny sticker say??....Made in...China...?? OH CRAP!!!"

It is exciting to see Japan taking an interest in space exploration, as they have a great deal of technical progress they can bring to the table, and can hopefully provide some innovative new solutions. I am sure they will overcome this minor hurdle. To be honest, news like this is good news, because it means their quality process is thorough enough to catch the defects on the ground, which is cheaper than catching them in space at the far greater cost of losing all the expensive electronics systems and sensors.

RE: It all makes sense!

By rotarysports on 8/16/2007 12:06:24 PM , Rating: 3

China is the 3rd country in the world which can send man into space and annihilate objects in orbit, and among the select few which has an extensive commercial, scientific, and military satellite business. NASA even predicted that the Chinese will beat the US to send man into moon before 2020 even if NASA is determined to go back to the moon again.

They are far ahead of Japan in space, not to mention probably does it with a lower budget too.

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RE: It all makes sense!

By JasonMick

(blog) on 8/16/2007 12:19:33 PM , Rating: 2

I have serious respect for the Chinese space program, which has many great accomplishments. The joke was rather a tongue-in-cheek reference to the vast mostly unregulated market in reverse-engineered/imitation products that operates outside Chinese legal control.

The Chinese space program is gov't/gov't contractors, while reverse-engineering has nothing to do with the gov't.

So it was just a joke, and I was not knocking the Chinese space program, or China itself for that matter, other than the fact that they need to crack down on reverse-engineering/imitation factories.

Maybe if I added "...but we bought these at the same place we bought those $50 dollar iPhones!", then it might have been on target.

Sorry if this insulted anyone besides the imitation/reverse-engineering market, and the Chinese gov't departments which SHOULD be regulating it, the two entities my comment was meant to poke fun at/get a rise out of.

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RE: It all makes sense!

By lompocus on 8/16/07, Rating: 0

By lompocus on 8/16/2007 2:26:31 PM , Rating: 0

psst...if you havn't noticed, most of China's tech is a mix of American and Russian. did you also realize that we kinda, well, beat them to the moon?

By 40 years as of 2k7?

Besides, as of now we're the only ones that really have a plan for a large moon base, followed by establishing orbiting refueling stations from here to Mars. I'm sure Russia has its own little thing.

It takes a lower budget for them. Yes. What's the drawback? The people live pretty darn impoverished, a lot of people still consider it a 3rd world country, CHINA THEMSELVES GAVE A STATEMENT SAYING THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY and so should be given 'heavy monetary aid' for development projects, and I'm sure they don't exactly have the best engineers for their space projects.

Nor do they have the ability to sustain a presence in space, much less a moon base.

And about their space rockets...mmmhm we kinda beat them by 30 years. Plus we 'might' have Star Wars (is that still in development, or did people protest missile defense in space into oblivion?).

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RE: It all makes sense!

By Malhavoc on 8/16/2007 9:10:26 PM , Rating: 2

First does not make best! Remember that.

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RE: It all makes sense!

By helios220 on 8/17/2007 9:30:29 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
First does not make best! Remember that.

Yes, that is entirely true... yet has no relevance to the current efforts to reach the moon. Are airplanes better now then they were on December 17th, 1903? Of course they are, but the early pioneers who were the first to break boundaries, whether it was the Wright's in 1903, Yuri Gagarin in 1961 or Neil Armstrong in 1969, are the ones who laid the groundwork for everything to follow.

Stating that first does not always make best is like stating people breath air, everyone knows that technology advances and achievement increases with time and practice.

I'm a Computer Engineer and I sure can design more advanced computer systems and software then Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, but that must be because I'm just way smarter than them and not the 150 years of progress that have occurred since they made their achievements.

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RE: It all makes sense!

By rotarysports on 8/17/2007 12:11:38 PM , Rating: 2

Interesting, if it is indeed a mix of American/Russian technology, then why does Japan who has massive technological support from the US with massive budgets couldn't achieve what the Chinese did ? Also, why couldn't EU who also had technological support from the US able to do it ?

By 40 years as of 2k07 ?
Hmm... when the Chinese invented paper 2000 years ago, the Americans(both natives and immigrants) are still living in caves and huts. What's your point ? Civilizations rose and fell with time, nobody is on the top forever, remember that.

To get back on topic, this is not about US and Russia vs China as obviously both the US and Russia have huge head start in space program than everybody else by a large margin.

Moon base ? Yes, everything sounds nice as a plan but seeing that the International Space Station is teetering and NASA still has huge problems every time the shuttle goes out, I'm not holding my breath any time soon.

Drawback of lower budget ? Are you really that unintelligent ? Would you rather have a $3000 budget to build a quad core computer or $500 ?

Again let me repeat this: THIS NOT ABOUT CHINA VS USA OR RUSSIA VS CHINA IN SPACE PROGRAM. AS I SAID EARLIER, CHINA IS THE THIRD COUNTRY TO DO BLA2... IN SPACE, THAT MEANS USA AND RUSSIA HAD DONE IT ALREADY. THIS IS ABOUT THE COMMENT THAT A PREVIOUS POSTER HAD MADE AND IT SEEMED THAT HE ALREADY COMMENTED THAT IT'S JUST A BAD JOKE AND HE UNDERSTANDS THE SITUATION PERFECTLY. GET IT ? STAY ON TOPIC.

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For a minute there......

By marvdmartian on 8/16/2007 9:14:33 AM , Rating: 2

When I read the article title, I thought, "WHAT?? They're sending Ms Dion into outer space????" ;)

RE: For a minute there......

By helios220 on 8/16/2007 9:25:04 AM , Rating: 2

Hah, I might be a bad person but the first thing that comes to mind when I read it is saline, what they use(d) to make breast implants.

Regardless of their fancy acronym though (The Selenological and Engineering Explorer), the significance of the name Selene is that she was the Greek goddess of the Moon.

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RE: For a minute there......

By omnicronx on 8/16/2007 9:37:06 AM , Rating: 2

dammit, i thought i was going to see a nice car!

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RE: For a minute there......

By dice1111 on 8/16/2007 11:28:53 AM , Rating: 2

That would be one way to get rid of her... Should have thought of that a long time ago.

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Any progress is great

By mindless1 on 8/18/2007 12:19:40 AM , Rating: 2

This is great but I hope we humans soon enough stop using artificial boundary lines as excuses to do redundant work instead of unified efforts. It's not who gets there first or last, it's the knowledge gained along the way and that should be shared, as well as expenses in a global program.