Japan Meteor/Meteorite News- Selene Moon Impact Data 15SEP09

Japanese Lunar Mission Provides Data About Moon's Origin

Japanese Lunar Mission Provides a Glimpse at How the
Moon Took Shape
by Naiomi Solomom, September 11, 2009
Ethiopian Review

http://www.ethiopianreview.com/scitech/

Japanese Lunar Mission Provides a Glimpse at How the
Moon Took Shape. Data from the recently retired Kaguya
spacecraft support the notion that the moon's crust
congealed from an ocean of magma by John Matson,
Scientific American,

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=moon-magma-ocean

The paper is:

Ohtake, M. T. Matsunaga, J. Haruyama, Y. Yokota, T.
Morota, C. Honda, Y. Ogawa, M. Torii, H. Miyamoto, T.
Arai, N. Hirata, A. Iwasaki, R. Nakamura, T. Hiroi,
T. Sugihara, H. Takeda1, H. Otake, C. M. Pieters, K.
Saiki, K. Kitazato, M. Abe, N. Asada, H. Demura, Y.
Yamaguchi, S. Sasaki1, S. Kodama, J. Terazono, M.
Shirao, A. Yamaji, S. Minami, H. Akiyama and J.-L.
Josset, 2009, The global distribution of pure
anorthosite on the Moon. Nature. vol. 461, no. 7261,
pp. 236-240 doi:10.1038/nature08317

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7261/abs/nature08317.html

Source, Paul H., USA

Japan RESEARCH NEWS- Valuable Research Available 7JUL09

Most complete Earth map published

The most complete terrain map of the Earth's surface has been published.

The data, comprising 1.3 million images, come from a collaboration between the US space agency Nasa and the Japanese trade ministry.

The images were taken by Japan's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (Aster) aboard the Terra satellite.

The resulting Global Digital Elevation Map covers 99% of the Earth's surface, and will be free to download and use. ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8126197.stm

Selene Makes Impact on Moon 12JUN09

A smashing end for Japanese lunar orbiter mission
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: June 10, 2009
An Australian telescope observed the controlled crash of Japan's Kaguya lunar probe into the moon Wednesday, an important warm-up act before a NASA impactor attempts a similar feat in October with much higher stakes. ...(more)

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0906/10kaguya/

Japanese Spacecraft Set to Impact the Moon 10JUN09

Image by JAXA 2009 Projected Selene Impact Site

Japan's Kaguya (Selene) will crash into the Moon on Wednesday, June 10th, around 1830 UT. The timing favors observers in Asia and Australia, who might be able to see a flash of light or a plume of debris rising from the Moon's southeastern limb. The spacecraft masses 2,600 kg and it will slam into the lunar surface at 6,000 km/hr. No one knows, however, how bright the flash might be or whether it will be visible even through large telescopes. Images of the crash, if any are captured, will be posted on http://spaceweather.com

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) launched "KAGUYA (SELENE)" using the H-IIA Launch Vehicle at 10:31:01 a.m. on September 14, 2007 (JST) from Tanegashima Space Center.
The major objectives of the "KAGUYA" mission were to obtain scientific data of the lunar origin and evolution and to develop the technology for the future lunar exploration.
"KAGUYA" consisted of a main orbiting satellite at about 100km altitude and two small satellites (Relay Satellite and VRAD Satellite) in polar orbit. The orbiters carried instruments for scientific investigation of the Moon, on the Moon, and from the Moon.
http://www.kaguya.jaxa.jp/index_e.htm