TOKYO (AFP) .- Japan launched "successfully" a rocket carrying a probe to observe the Moon, first stage lunar program more important since the U.S. Apollo mission in 1969, announced the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
"We launched the rocket and the spacecraft separated from the shuttle," said Eriko Sunada, a spokesman for JAXA.
The probe came off, as planned, 45 minutes after launch.
The Japanese H-2A platform off "without problems" at 10.31 local base of Tanegashima (South) taking on board the system "Kaguya" probe consists of a main satellite and two small annexes, said the agency.
This mission aims to better understand the origin and evolution of the Moon with the help of about 15 instruments on board measure.
"Kaguya" (named after a princess of a Japanese folktale) will establish a precise mapping of the moon and know better the surface and lower layers.
The probe will also examine the distribution of minerals and other elements, to assess the lunar magnetic phenomena and interested in the behavior of energetic particles and plasmas.
The mission, which cost 55,000 million yen (355 million euros), should last a year.
Their preparations have been longer than expected, while allowing both China and India to develop its own lunar exploration missions.
"'Kaguya' opens a new era of lunar exploration, "said Thursday the president of JAXA's Keiji Tachikawa.
The probe, whose launch was delayed repeatedly by technical and weather reasons, was scheduled to separate from the shuttle 45 minutes after launch.
If all operations proceed as planned, the probe more than three tonnes will then twice around the Earth before leaving Earth orbit and head toward the moon and reach to its area of \u200b\u200binfluence within three weeks.
Five days later, decamp a small 50 kg satellite that will serve as a repeater for transmitting data to Earth when the spacecraft is behind the moon.
Annex The second satellite, which will measure the gravity field of the moon in partnership with its sister, will be a long four days later, within a month.
The two satellites will follow elliptical paths at an altitude varying from 100 km to 2,400 km the first, and 100 km to 800 km the second.
gradually cut the probe to the moon to be positioned in a circular orbit distant 100 km of the lunar soil.
The observation did not really begin before the month of December if all tricky maneuvers that punctuate the tour is not hindered by technical problems.
Once completed and passed their harvest, the probe will crash into the Moon's soil.
Source: LANACION.com
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