Sept. 14, 2007 —Japan's first lunar orbiter successfully blasted into space Friday on the most extensive mission to investigate the moon since the U.S. Apollo program began nearly four decades ago, officials said.
A domestically developed rocket launched with no glitches from a small island in southern Japan at 10:31 AM carrying the country's hopes of restoring pride in its troubled space program.
The orbiter separated from the H-2A rocket about 45 minutes after it took off from the Space Center on the island of Tanegashima, the space agency said.
"The launch was a success," declared Kaoru Mamiya, vice president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in Tokyo.
"The probe detached from the rocket as expected 45 minutes after lift-off and all the subsequent phases were carried out correctly," added Yoshisada Takizawa, the head of the project.
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The lunar orbiter, aiming to collect data for research of the moon's origin and evolution, will travel around the Earth before moving into an orbit of the moon in early October, officials said.
The agency says the one-year lunar mission, which is several years behind schedule due to technical mishaps, is the most extensive since the U.S. Apollo program began in the 1960s, putting the first astronaut on the moon.
The explorer was named "Kaguya" after a beautiful princess who charms many men before ascending to her home, the moon, in a popular Japanese folk tale.
The $478 million probe will consist of a main unit, which will orbit 60 miles above the moon, and two small satellites.
It will gather data on the distribution of chemical elements and minerals as well as on topographical and surface structures.
