Japan lunar probe ends mission with a bang

The remotely controlled satellite, named after the folklore princess Kaguya, had been orbiting the moon to map its surface and study its mineral distribution and gravity levels. It was dropped onto the surface of the moon at 3:25 am (1825 GMT), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said in a statement. "The mission was a success. Thanks to Kaguya, we will have a very detailed map of the lunar surface," said JAXA spokesman Shinichi Sobue. The Japanese space agency will analyze data sent by Kaguya and plans to publish the results online in November. The 55 billion yen ($560 million) lunar mission launched in September 2007 is the largest in scope and ambition since the US Apollo program of the 1960s and 70s, Sobue said. Japan launched its first satellite in 1970 and has achieved several major scientific coups in space, including the launch of a probe that made a rendezvous with an asteroid. The Japanese-produced H-2A rocket is one of the world's most advanced and consistent; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.