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Kaguya
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Artist's conception of the Kaguya mission's Selene spacecraft in orbit around the Moon. Earthrise over the Moon, taken by the high-definition television (HDTV) camera on board the Selene orbiter of the Kaguya mission, Nov. 7, 2007.
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Artist's conception of the Kaguya mission's Selene spacecraft in orbit around the Moon.
Artist's conception of the Kaguya mission's Selene spacecraft in orbit around the Moon.

Kaguya

Japanese space probe
Also known as: Selene, Selenological and Engineering Explorer(Show More)
Written by
Dave Dooling
Education and Public Outreach Officer, National Solar Observatory, Sacramento Peak, New Mexico. Coauthor of Engineering Tomorrow.
Dave Dooling
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Kaguya, Japanā€™s second unmanned mission to the Moon, launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in September 2007. Its proper name, Selene (Selenological and Engineering Explorer), was derived from the ancient Greek goddess of the Moon. Kaguya, chosen from among many suggestions received from the Japanese public, is the name of a legendary princess who spurns earthly suitors and returns to the Moon. Kaguya comprised three spacecraft launched together and then deployed once in lunar...

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