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SELENE

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description SELENE Overview

The SELENE mission, formerly known as Kaguya, is a Japanese space exploration project operated by JAXA. It deployed an orbiter to map the Moon in unprecedented detail. The mission’s high-resolution imagery and video data significantly advanced our understanding of lunar geology and surface features. Scientists and researchers studying the Moon, particularly those involved in planetary science and lunar research, benefit from SELENE's extensive datasets.

help SELENE FAQ

Why is SELENE usually called Kaguya?

SELENE is the acronym for Selenological and Engineering Explorer, while Kaguya was the public name chosen for the spacecraft. The name refers to the lunar princess in the Japanese tale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

What instruments did Kaguya use to map the Moon?

Its payload included a terrain camera, multiband imager, spectral profiler, radar sounder, and laser altimeter. From a roughly 100-kilometer polar orbit, these instruments collected global information about lunar topography, composition, gravity, and subsurface structure.

Did Kaguya really film Earth rising over the Moon?

Yes, JAXA and the Japanese broadcaster NHK equipped Kaguya with an HDTV camera that recorded high-definition views of Earth rising and setting beyond the lunar horizon. The mission launched aboard an H-IIA rocket in September 2007.

What happened to the Kaguya orbiter after its mission?

JAXA ended the mission with a controlled impact on the Moon in June 2009. Kaguya had also deployed two smaller satellites, Okina and Ouna, to support gravity and radio-science measurements.

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