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This article or section contains information regarding a future spaceflight. Due to the nature of the content, details may change dramatically as the launch date approaches and/or more information becomes available.

This page is about the proposed lunar spacecraft. For the Greek Moon goddess, see Selene.

SELENE
Selene spacecraft, artist's impression
Organization	JAXA
Launch date	July - August 2007
Mass	1984 kg
Current destination	Moon
Mission	Lunar Orbiter
Instruments
	Terrain Camera (TC) X-Ray Flourescence Spectrometer (XRS) Lunar Magnetometer (LMAG) Spectral Profiler (SP) Multi-band Imager (MI) High Definition Television Camera (HDTV) Laser Altimeter (LALT) Lunar Radar Sounder (LRS) Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) Charged Particle Spectrometer (CPS) Plasma Analyzer (PACE) Upper Atmosphere and Plasma Imager (UPI) Radio Science

SELENE is a Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft currently in integration. The name stands for Selenological and Engineering Explorer, and it is produced by Institute of Space and Astronautical Science for NASDA (now both organizations are part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). The proposed launch period is July 2007.

Contents 1 Design 1.1 Orbiter 1.2 Small relay satellite 1.3 VRAD satellite 2 Payload 3 Mission 4 See also 5 External links

There are three separate units comprising the spacecraft.

The main orbiter is a rectangular box measuring about 2.1 m by 4.2 m, with a mass of about 1984 kg.

Main Orbiter

Mass: 3 tons (at launch, including two small satellites)

Size: 2.1 x 2.1 x 4.8 m

Attitude Control: Three-axis stabilized

Power: 3.5kW (Max.)

Mission period: 1 year

Mission Orbit: Circular orbit,

Altitude 100km

Inclination 90 degree

A small relay satellite and a VLBI VRAD satellite are both octagonal prisms. The relay satellite transmits communications from the orbiter to Earth.

Small relay satellite

Mass: 50 kg

Size: 1.0 x 1.0 x 0.65 m

Attitude Control: Spin-stabilized

Power: 70 W

Orbit(Initial Orbit):

Elliptical orbit (100km x 2400km),

Inclination 90 degrees

The VLBI VRAD satellite will be used to measure the position and precession of the moon precisely.

VRAD satellite

Mass: 50 kg

Size: 1.0 x 1.0 x 0.65 m

Attitude Control: Spin-stabilized

Power: 70 W

Orbit (Initial Orbit):

Elliptical orbit (100km x 800km),

Inclination 90 degrees

SELENE carries 13 science instruments, including imagers, a radar sounder, a laser altimeter, an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and a gamma ray spectrometer. The goal is to study the origin, evolution and tectonics of the Moon from orbit.

Terrain Camera (TC) (resolution 10 meters per pixel)[1]

X-Ray Flourescence Spectrometer (XRS)

Lunar Magnetometer (LMAG)

Spectral Profiler (SP) (resolution per pixel is 562 by 400 meters)

Multi-band Imager (MI) (resolution of visible light 20 meters per pixel, near-infrared 62 meters per pixel)

High Definition Television Camera (HDTV)

Laser Altimeter (LALT)

Lunar Radar Sounder (LRS)

Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS)

Charged Particle Spectrometer (CPS)

Plasma Analyzer (PACE)

Upper Atmosphere and Plasma Imager (UPI)

Radio Science

In February 2007, it carries several names, which are submitted in part of The Planetary Society's Messages From Earth project, among them are notably John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

The total launch mass will be 2000 kg, and it will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center by an H-2A rocket. Five days later, it will reach the moon and enter an initial 120 by 13,000 km polar orbit. The relay satellite will move to a 100 by 2400 km orbit, and the VLBI satellite will move to a 100 by 800 km orbit. Finally, the orbiter will move to a 100 km circular orbit. The expected life of the mission is one year.

• Moon
• Future lunar missions
• Exploration of the Moon

• SELENE website at NASA (engl.)
• SELENE website at JAXA (engl.)
• SELENE overview by ISAS/JAXA (in English)
• SELENE at Space Wiki

v • d • e Japanese space program
Earth Observation Satellites	Daichi - Akebono Cooperation with NASA: Aqua - Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission - GEOTAIL Under Development: GOSAT - Global Precipitation Mesurement
Communication, Positioning and Engineering Test Satellites	ETS-VIII - Kirari - Kodama - REIMEI - EGS Under Development: WWINDS - Quasi-Zenith Satellites System - Sohla -SDS
Astronomical Observation Satellites	Akari - Suzaku - Hinode - REIMEI Under Development: ASTRO-G
Lunar and Planetary Exploration Satellites	Hayabusa Under Development: SELENE - PLANET-C - BepiColombo (cooperation ESA) Cancelled : LUNAR-A
Human Space Exploration	ISS (cooperation) - H-II Transfer Vehicle
Completed Missions	YOHKOH - ASCA - HALCA - NOZOMI - MDS-1 - Adeos II - Micro Lab Sat 1