SELENE

11.22.09

Kaguya Lunar Probe Sends Final HD Images Before Crash-Landing

The spacecraft's final moments, with the lunar surface drawing ever nearer

By John Mahoney Posted 06.19.2009 at 4:00 pm 5 Comments

The Japan Space Agency's Kaguya lunar explorer, after a mission that included new geological surveys and lots of gloriously detailed HD footage of the moon's surface, crash landed into a large crater on the moon's near side this week. And JAXA today released its final images, depicting the final moments of its descent. Updated with video.

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READ MORE ABOUT > japan, jaxa, kaguya, lunar exploration, lunar probe, moon, SELENE, space, spacecraft, the moon

This Is the Moon in HD, Closer Than Ever Before

Japan's Kaguya lunar probe sends back stunning high-definition footage from an extremely low altitude

By John Mahoney Posted 06.08.2009 at 12:31 pm 10 Comments

Japan's Kaguya lunar surveyor craft has sent back fresh HD clips as its orbit slowly degrades, bringing it closer than ever to the surface. In two days it will crash-land, bringing its mission to an end, but until then, it's keeping the ultra-crisp, almost surreal lunar footage coming.

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READ MORE ABOUT > HD video, HDTV, kaguya, moon, SELENE, space, space news, spacecraft