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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."
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!
John
More user friendly version here: http://www.selene.jaxa.jp/index_e.htm
Can't we all just get along
Nothing like a freaking high gain antenna smack-dab in the middle of every freaking shot.
That's supposed to be the tripod, I believe someone got fired...
....did they find our fake moon landing set yet?
What has *science* done?!? -- Dr. Weird (ATHF)
Perhaps the Japanese can provide some unbiased evidence of the (alleged?) moon landing site. Put those pesky theories to rest...
...SPAWN MORE OVERLORDS!
Is there also an air of nerdy excitement about this new-sorta "Space Race II" (new character... Asia!) in the rest of you guys too?
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...).
Blank until
Princess Kaguya is the traditional main character in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. She's something of a Japanese 'Tom Thumb'.
Kaguya is a golden-haired princess sent to the Earth from her Moon kingdom to learn about the joys and sadness of life. In various versions of the tale, she's required to return to the moon once she reaches adulthood.
Anime fans will note that the 'Moon Princess' motif is used repeatedly in modern stories, such as 'Sailor Moon', 'Mammotte Syugogetten' and more recently, 'Oh, Edo Rocket!'.
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These pictures are fairly low quality, probably from an engineering camera rather than a scientific one.
One thing I noticed on the website is that they also carry an HDTV camera! Can't wait to see some nice HD video from lunar orbit.
Visit CryptoGnome in his home.
And that is the key. Defeated enemies tend to become the strongest allies when you take the time to stick around and rebuild the country so that it is nicer than it was when you first showed up. Japan is an ally because we were allowed to finish the job and did not "cut and run".
Oh for crying out loud, the thinly veiled reference to Iraq is ludicrous.
We didn't unilaterally invade Japan. They were at war prior to our involvement with them.
Japan wasn't harboring long term resentment over American oppression and manipulation at the individual level the way many Iraqi's 'hate america'.
Japan wasn't already on the point of a civil war due to multiple mutually hostile internal factions that were barely being contained by the brutal dictator we installed and propped up.
So it was largely the government that was at war with the US, not the 'people'.
So when Japan surrendered after the nuclear weapons attacks, and the government was dissolved and reformed they really did surrender, and the whole country especially the average civilians were pretty unified in their desire to get on with the rebuilding. Iraq has gone a completely different direction; with multiple competing hostile factions that were there all along going at each other with America caught in the middle of it.
Even if the US manages to ultimately succeed, it will be by siding with one of the factions and helping them become dominant and rebuilding with them... this will only alienate the other factions who will just become even more hostile to the US, and they will gather with allies in Afghanistan, Iran, etc.
At -best- its going to be Israel all over again. Sure we have a great ally in the faction we helped dominate and claim and rebuild the space, but at what cost? perpetual war and festering anti-american sentiment from the displaced/neighboring factions.
When they snap the Apollo landing sites and see two sets of footprints leaving the capsule..
..and three returning that you need to start worrying.
Nah, I'm no so amused about the landing site, it's the enormous "Kilroy was here" on the darkside of the moon I'm wait for....
Geez, nothing but pictures of itself! Should have named it PRINCESS.