Hiten (MUSES-A)
Hiten (Space Engineering Spacecraft MUSES-A) was launched by Japan's ISAS on January 24, 1990. It placed the Hagoromo subsatellite into lunar orbit, conducted the first aerobraking experiment in Earth's upper atmosphere by a deep-space probe, and used weak stability boundary (low-energy) trajectories to enter lunar orbit in February 1992. Hiten was deliberately crashed into the Moon between Stevinus and Furnerius craters on April 10, 1993.
Mission Imagery & Gallery
Primary Achievement
Japan's first lunar probe; first non-US/USSR lunar mission; pioneered low-energy ballistic transfers and lunar aerobraking.
Mission Objectives
- Demonstrate trajectory control technologies for lunar gravity-assist flybys
- Release Hagoromo lunar orbiter subsatellite into circumlunar orbit
- Validate aerobraking in Earth's atmosphere and low-energy orbital capture at the Moon
Timeline Events
- 1990-01-24 — Launched from Kagoshima Space Center aboard Mu-3S-II.
- 1990-03-19 — Released Hagoromo subsatellite into lunar orbit during first lunar flyby.
- 1991-04-24 — Demonstrated deep-space aerobraking pass through Earth upper atmosphere at 125 km altitude.
- 1992-02-15 — Entered temporary lunar orbit via pioneering low-energy ballistic transfer.
- 1993-04-10 — Commanded to impact the Moon near Stevinus crater at 18:03:25 UTC.
Related Missions
- Kaguya (SELENE) (2007) · JAXA
- SMART-1 (2003) · ESA
- Clementine (DSPSE) (1994) · BMDO / NASA
Historical & Technical Sources
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