Japanese moon lander SELENE-2—Present status in 2009

JAXA is planning exploration missions to the moon, following upon the Kaguya (SELENE) mission., These missions aim to demonstrate some new technologies, observe the moon scientifically, investigate technical, social and political feasibility of utilizing the moon. For the first step of the missions, the phase A study of SELENE-2 has started from the summer of 2007. This mission will demonstrate the effectiveness of several technologies including precision landing, hazard avoidance, surface mobility, and night survival technologies. In situ geological and geophysical observations will be conducted to improve our knowledge on the origin and the evolution of the moon. Investigating the lunar surface conditions and its potential for in situ resource utilization will provide key information for future human exploration missions. This paper presents the current status of the SELENE-2 mission, its objectives, its design, and other important aspects of its development such as international cooperation.