Low-altitude Video of Lunar Surface

güttsfükk · #1 ● 06-13-2009, 09:26 PM

n its final days before crashing into the surface of the moon on June 11, Japan’s KAGUYA explorer has been shooting high-definition footage of the lunar terrain from low altitude.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which operates the HD camera-equipped probe along with public broadcaster NHK, has uploaded two videos on YouTube.

The first video was shot from an altitude of about 11 kilometers (7 miles) up, at between 45 and 52 degrees south latitude and 262 and 263 degrees east longitude.

güttsfükk · #2 ● 06-13-2009, 09:27 PM

The second video, which offers a view of the Antoniadi lunar crater, was shot from an altitude of about 21 kilometers (13 miles) up, at between 64 and 70 degrees south latitude and 186 and 188 degrees east longitude.

After its launch in late 2007, KAGUYA started in orbit about 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the moon. By February 2009 the probe had dropped to an altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles), and in April it dropped to between 10 and 30 kilometers (6 - 19 miles).

The KAGUYA probe will end its scientific exploration of the moon with a controlled impact on the lunar surface. The crash, scheduled for 3:30 AM (Japan standard time) on June 11, 2009 (6:30 PM GMT on June 10, 2009), will occur in the shadow on the near side of the moon, at 63 degrees south latitude and 80 degrees east longitude.

SJ · #3 ● 06-13-2009, 10:02 PM

Video not found.

güttsfükk · #4 ● 06-13-2009, 10:08 PM

should work now

SJ · #5 ● 06-13-2009, 10:18 PM

Uh, nope. Still won't play. First one goes to three seconds and stops and the second loads, but won't play.

güttsfükk · #6 ● 06-13-2009, 10:20 PM

maybe you tried them too quickly after upload,
cause they are working fine for me..., try reload or refresh the page before trying again? :D

SJ · #7 ● 06-13-2009, 10:28 PM

Yup. Worked that time!

I'm an eager one, but I really wanna take a dirt bike or something and just ride around up there. Looks like it would be fun.

Now all I have to do is get over my fear of dirt bikes and heights and I'm all set!

güttsfükk · #8 ● 06-13-2009, 10:31 PM

makes me think of those videos of that buggy riding about on the moon

SJ · #9 ● 06-13-2009, 10:38 PM

That looks like so much fun. Wonder how fast you can get going up there? I doubt those buggies really move that fast.

Hum....

güttsfükk · #10 ● 06-13-2009, 10:52 PM

if you double the speed on the moon buggy vids it looks like a buggy in a desert, i'll upload a moon landing hoax documentary

Low-altitude Video of Lunar Surface

Documenting Reality