LUNAR-A

Lunar -A was a planned lunar probe the Japanese space agency JAXA should start after numerous shifts in 2010 ( original start date was 1995). In January 2007 it was announced that JAXA has canceled the mission because of the already completed probe body has become outdated and unusable. The start should have been made with an MV rocket. The production of the M- V was set in 2006. The spacecraft would have a mass of 540 kg ( including consumables) exhibited. Your responsibilities would have been exploring the lunar surface, the monitoring of moonquakes, measurement of the thermal conditions and the heat flux near the Moon's surface as well as studies of the lunar core and the internal structure.

A Lunar would have carried two penetrators that would be equipped with seismometers to measure moonquakes and sensors for the measurement of heat flow. The penetrators would penetrate the lunar soil and there perform their measurements directly. The JAXA intends to continue the development of the penetrators and complete end of 2007, so that they can possibly use on a probe of another nation. In addition, JAXA is also planning penetrators on other targets to use as the moon.