Tokyo, 7 September (HS): The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a Lunar Exploration Spacecraft on Thursday after the launch was aborted three times earlier due to bad weather.
The rocket was launched from Tanegashima Space Centre in Southern Japan carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe. The rocket put into orbit around the Earth, 13 minutes after the launch of a satellite called X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM).
The Director of the Rice Space Institute David Alexander said that the mission is significant for studying properties of hot plasma, or superheated matter that makes up much of the universe. Plasmas have the potential to be used in various ways including healing wounds, making computer chips, and cleaning the environment.
The latest Japanese rocket is the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), a lightweight lunar lander. The Smart Lander will enter lunar orbit about three to four months later and will attempt landing on the Moon early next year.
Hindusthan Samachar/ Ajay Mardikar/ Sanjiv/ Dadhibal/Manoj
