Moon orbiter successfully launched from Earth

A Japanese space probe bound for lunar orbit was launched early Friday on the first leg of a $480 million mission to search for answers to fundamental questions about the moon's enigmatic history. The SELENE spacecraft flew into space bolted on the tip of an H-2A rocket, which released the 6,360-pound satellite about 45 minutes after blastoff. More

(Source: Space Flight Now - Sep 15)