1 day / second
0.5 AU
SELENE
Spacecraft
A Japanese lunar orbiter launched in 2007 that mapped the Moon's gravitational field and surface composition while capturing the first high-definition video of an Earthrise from lunar orbit.
Key Facts
organization | JAXA |
orbital regime | Inner System |
learn more | Wikipedia |
launched | 2007-09-14 |
decommissioned | 2009-06-10 |
launch mass | 3,020 kg |
power | 3,486 watts |
Mission Timeline
Launched
September 14, 2007 at 01:31 UTC
Luna (The Moon)
Orbiter
SELENE (Kaguya) orbited the Moon from October 2007 to June 2009, conducting detailed surveys of lunar composition and topography with its 14 science instruments before making a controlled impact near Gill crater.
Decommissioned
June 10, 2009 at 18:25 UTC
After completing its primary mission mapping the Moon's surface and gravity field, SELENE was deliberately crashed into the lunar surface near crater Gill, ending its 20-month mission to study the Moon's origins and evolution.
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