Japan Moon Probe Snaps First Photos

mrcgran writes "Space.com reports, "Almost one month after Japan's successful launch of the Kaguya lunar probe, the unmanned observatory has begun its first major activities in orbit around the moon. In addition to snapping its first lunar images, the probe jettisoned one of two 110-pound (50-kilogram) "baby" satellites that will help create a detailed gravity map of the moon." The major objectives of the "KAGUYA" mission are to obtain scientific data of the lunar origin and evolution and to develop the technology for the future lunar exploration. "KAGUYA" consists of a main orbiting satellite at about 100km altitude and two small satellites (Relay Satellite and VRAD Satellite) in polar orbit."

Comments

Not me.

[plover]

I, for one, am sick to death of welcoming 50 kilogram robotic overlord after 50 kilogram robotic overlord, only to have them fly off to the moon after a month or so, leaving us high, dry, and overlordless back here on Earth!

Hey! Down in front!

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Nothing like a freaking high gain antenna smack-dab in the middle of every freaking shot.

That's no High Gain Antenna

[RuBLed]

That's supposed to be the tripod, I believe someone got fired...

Then quit whining....

[Anonymous Coward]

...SPAWN MORE OVERLORDS!

Re:Got a snap of the American flag they left behin

[Farmer Tim]

What about the buggy thingamees that they left up there?

Everything left on the moon worked perfectly! (That slapping sound you hear is a horde of retired NASA engineers throwing down gauntlets)

I want to see if these conspiracy theories can be put to rest for good. Can they photograph the equipment left behind?

These are people who don't accept the existing film, photographs, hunks of moon rock, etc, as evidence; more photos won't make a scrap of difference. The only way to refute conspiracy theorists is to take them to the moon and push them out an airlock without a space suit so they can experience the low gravity and hard vaccuum first hand (and even then they'd probably use their last breath attempting to argue that it couldn't have been done in the 1960's...).

Anyone for Engrish?

[Crypto Gnome]

All I want to say is hopefully their science is better than their english and/or translators.

At the CCD device, pixel defects (white blemishes) generate by space lay, so, it is expected the cyclic observation makes clear the effect of the space lay around the moon orbit. It is difficult to protect the CCD from the space lay. So we have been developed the grand system be able to compensate the white blemishes of max 20 thousands from the pick-up image.