Hiten (spacecraft)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hiten (ひてん) is the name of the first Japanese space probe sent to the moon. It was the first lunar probe launched by a country other than the Soviet Union or the United States.[1]
The launch was a project of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of the University of Tokyo.
The satellite was sent toward the moon on January 24, 1990.[2]
On the first lunar approach, Hiten released a small orbiter. This was called Hagoromo (羽衣, literally, the "feather mantle")[3]
References [change]
- ↑ NASA, Hiten-Hagoromo mission profile; retrieved 2012-4-16.
- ↑ JAXA, "Catalogue of ISAS Missions"; retrieved 2012-4-16.
- ↑ The lunar orbiter was named after the feather mantle of Hiten
Other websites [change]
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hiten (MUSES-C) mission profile
