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MUSES-A
The Hiten spacecraft (ひてん, ), given the English name Celestial Maiden and known before launch as MUSES-A ( Mu Space Engineering Spacecraft A), part of the MUSES Program, was built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan and launched on January 24, 1990. It was Japan's first lunar probe, the first robotic lunar probe since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976, and the first lunar probe launched by a country other than the Soviet Union or the United States. The spacecraft was named after flying heavenly beings in Buddhism. Hiten was to be placed into a highly elliptical Earth orbit with an apogee of 476,000 km, which would swing past the Moon. However, the injection took place with a delta-v deficit of 50 m/s, resulting in an apogee of only 290,000 km. The deficiency was corrected and the probe continued on its mission. On the first lunar swing-by, Hiten released a small orbiter, Hagoromo (はごろも, named after the feather mantle of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aerobraking
Aerobraking is a spaceflight maneuver that reduces the high point of an elliptical orbit (apoapsis) by flying the vehicle through the atmosphere at the low point of the orbit (periapsis). The resulting drag slows the spacecraft. Aerobraking is used when a spacecraft requires a low orbit after arriving at a body with an atmosphere, as it requires less fuel than using propulsion to slow down. Method When an interplanetary vehicle arrives at its destination, it must reduce its velocity to achieve orbit or to land. To reach a low, near-circular orbit around a body with substantial gravity (as is required for many scientific studies), the required velocity changes can be on the order of kilometers per second. Using propulsion, the rocket equation dictates that a large fraction of the spacecraft mass must consist of fuel. This reduces the science payload and/or requires a large and expensive rocket. Provided the target body has an atmosphere, aerobraking can be used to reduce fuel req ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Institute Of Space And Astronautical Science
(ISAS) is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes which played a major role in Japan's space development. Since 2003, it is a division of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). History The ISAS originated as part of the Institute of Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo, where Hideo Itokawa experimented with miniature solid-fuel rockets ( Pencil Rocket and Baby Rocket) in the 1950s. This experimentation eventually led to the development of the Κ (''Kappa'') sounding rocket, which was used for observations during the International Geophysical Year (IGY). By 1960, the Κ-8 rocket had reached an altitude of 200 km. In 1964, the rocket group and the ''Institute of Aeronautics'', along with scientific ballooning team, were merged to form within the University of Tokyo. The rocket evolved into the L (''Lambda'') series, and, in 1970, L-4S-5 was launched as Japan's firs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MUSES Program
The MUSES Program ( Mu Space Engineering Spacecraft) was a Japanese space programme consisting of: * MUSES-A The Hiten spacecraft (ひてん, ), given the English name Celestial Maiden and known before launch as MUSES-A ( Mu Space Engineering Spacecraft A), part of the MUSES Program, was built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Ja ..., the Hiten spacecraft * MUSES-B, the HALCA (Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy) program * MUSES-C, the Hayabusa uncrewed spacecraft {{SIA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mu (rocket Family)
The Mu, also known as M, was a series of Japanese solid-fueled carrier rockets, which were launched from Uchinoura between 1966 and 2006. Originally developed by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Mu rockets were later operated by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency following ISAS becoming part of it. Early Japanese carrier rockets The first Mu rocket, the Mu-1 made a single, sub-orbital, test flight, on 31 October 1966. Subsequently, a series of rockets were produced, designated Mu-3 and Mu-4. In 1969 a suborbital test launch of the Mu-3D was conducted. The first orbital launch attempt for the Mu family, using a Mu-4S, was conducted on 25 September 1970, however the fourth stage did not ignite, and the rocket failed to reach orbit. On 16 February 1971, Tansei 1 was launched by another Mu-4S rocket. Two further Mu-4S launches took place during 1971 and 1972. The Mu-4S was replaced by the Mu-3C, was launched four times between 1974 and 1979, with three success ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Furnerius (crater)
Furnerius is a large Lunar craters, lunar impact crater located in the southeast part of the Moon, in the area close to the southeastern limb of the nearside or visible Moon. Because of its location, the crater appears oval in shape due to foreshortening but is actually nearly circular. Notable nearby craters include Stevinus (crater), Stevinus to the northwest and Fraunhofer (crater), Fraunhofer to the south-southwest. Farther to the northwest is the crater Snellius (crater), Snellius and the Vallis Snellius crater valley. The rim of Furnerius is worn and battered, with multiple impacts along its length and notches along the base. Much of the wall now rises only slightly above the surrounding terrain, with the lowest sections to the north and south. However the northern wall rises to a maximum elevation of 3.5 km. The interior floor is marked by fourteen notable craters, the most notable being Furnerius B in the northern half which has a central rise. Dark patches on the fl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stevinus (crater)
Stevinus is a lunar impact crater located in the southeast part of the Moon. To the southeast is the large crater Furnerius. Just to the northeast is Snellius and the Vallis Snellius crater valley. To the west-northwest lies Reichenbach. To the west-northwest of Stevinus is the tiny crater Stevinus A, a feature that possesses a small ray system and a displays a high albedo. Stevinus has a high inner wall and a central peak at the midpoint of the interior floor. The inner walls are slumped, so that the side slopes down sharply, then more gradually. There are several small ridges on the floor, in addition to the peak. Due to its ray system, Stevinus is mapped as part of the Copernican System.The geologic history of the Moon, 1987, Wilhelms, Don E.; with sections by McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J. USGS Professional Paper: 1348. Plate 11: Copernican Systemonline It is named for Simon Stevin Simon Stevin (; 1548–1620), sometimes called Stevinus, was a Flemish mathem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kordylewski Cloud
Kordylewski clouds are large concentrations of dust that exist at the and Lagrangian points of the Earth–Moon system. They were first reported by Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski in the 1960s, and confirmed to exist in October 2018. Discovery and observation Kordylewski began looking for a photometrically confirmable concentration of dust at the libration (Lagrangian) points in 1951. After a change in method suggested by Josef Witkowski, the clouds were first seen by Kordylewski in 1956. Between 6 March and 6 April 1961, he succeeded in photographing two bright patches near the Lagrange point. During the observation time, the patches hardly appeared to move relative to . The observations were taken from the mountain Kasprowy Wierch. In 1967, J. Wesley Simpson made observations of the clouds using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. In October 2018, the existence of the Kordylewski clouds was reported to have been confirmed, even though, earlier, in 1992, the Japanes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lagrangian Point
In celestial mechanics, the Lagrange points (; also Lagrangian points or libration points) are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the influence of two massive orbiting bodies. Mathematically, this involves the solution of the restricted three-body problem in which two bodies are far more massive than the third. Normally, the two massive bodies exert an unbalanced gravitational force at a point, altering the orbit of whatever is at that point. At the Lagrange points, the gravitational forces of the two large bodies and the centrifugal force balance each other. This can make Lagrange points an excellent location for satellites, as few orbit corrections are needed to maintain the desired orbit. Small objects placed in orbit at Lagrange points are in equilibrium in at least two directions relative to the center of mass of the large bodies. For any combination of two orbital bodies there are five Lagrange points, L1 to L5, all in the orbital plane of the two lar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Low-energy Transfer
A low-energy transfer, or low-energy trajectory, is a route in space that allows spacecraft to change orbits using significantly less fuel than traditional transfers. These routes work in the Earth–Moon system and also in other systems, such as between the moons of Jupiter. The drawback of such trajectories is that they take longer to complete than higher-energy (more-fuel) transfers, such as Hohmann transfer orbits. Low-energy transfers are also known as Weak Stability Boundary trajectories, and include ballistic capture trajectories. Low-energy transfers follow special pathways in space, sometimes referred to as the Interplanetary Transport Network. Following these pathways allows for long distances to be traversed for little change in velocity, or . Example missions Missions that have used low-energy transfers include: * ''Hiten'', from JAXA * '' SMART-1'', from ESA * ''Genesis'', from NASA. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heliocentric Orbit
A heliocentric orbit (also called circumsolar orbit) is an orbit around the barycenter of the Solar System, which is usually located within or very near the surface of the Sun. All planets, comets, and asteroids in the Solar System, and the Sun itself are in such orbits, as are many artificial probes and pieces of debris. The moons of planets in the Solar System, by contrast, are not in heliocentric orbits, as they orbit their respective planet (although the Moon has a convex orbit around the Sun). The barycenter of the Solar System, while always very near the Sun, moves through space as time passes, depending on where other large bodies in the Solar System, such as Jupiter and other large gas planets, are located at that time. A similar phenomenon allows the detection of exoplanets by way of the radial-velocity method. The ''helio-'' prefix is derived from the Greek word "ἥλιος", meaning "Sun", and also Helios, the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. The fir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Discover (magazine)
''Discover'' is an American general audience science magazine launched in October 1980 by Time Inc. It has been owned by Kalmbach Publishing since 2010. History Founding ''Discover'' was created primarily through the efforts of ''Time'' magazine editor Leon Jaroff. He noticed that magazine sales jumped every time the cover featured a science topic. Jaroff interpreted this as a considerable public interest in science, and in 1971, he began agitating for the creation of a science-oriented magazine. This was difficult, as a former colleague noted, because "Selling science to people who graduated to be managers was very difficult".Hevesi, Dennis"Leon Jaroff, Editor at Time and Discover Magazines, Dies at 85" ''The New York Times'', 21 October 2012 Jaroff's persistence finally paid off, and ''Discover'' magazine published its first edition in 1980. ''Discover'' was originally launched into a burgeoning market for science magazines aimed at educated non-professionals, intended to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hohmann Transfer Orbit
In astronautics, the Hohmann transfer orbit () is an orbital maneuver used to transfer a spacecraft between two orbits of different altitudes around a central body. Examples would be used for travel between low Earth orbit and the Moon, or another solar planet or asteroid. In the idealized case, the initial and target orbits are both circular and coplanar. The maneuver is accomplished by placing the craft into an elliptical transfer orbit that is tangential to both the initial and target orbits. The maneuver uses two impulsive engine burns: the first establishes the transfer orbit, and the second adjusts the orbit to match the target. The Hohmann maneuver often uses the lowest possible amount of impulse (which consumes a proportional amount of delta-v, and hence propellant) to accomplish the transfer, but requires a relatively longer travel time than higher-impulse transfers. In some cases where one orbit is much larger than the other, a bi-elliptic transfer can use even le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
