Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency would like to announce that we have decided to postpone the launch of the Lunar Orbit Explorer “KAGUYA” (SELENE) by the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 13 (H-IIA F13.)
The launch was originally scheduled for August 16, 2007 (Japan Standard Time, JST.) The new launch date will be announced as soon as it is determined.
Reason for the delay:
When a ground test was prepared for another satellite (Wideband Internetworking Engineering Test and Demonstration Satellite, WINDS,) the polarity of its onboard condenser was found to be installed reversely. JAXA checked the KAGUYA (SELENE) for the same problem, and found the reverse polarity of the condenser in the two onboard baby satellites (one condenser on each satellite.) The two condensers will be replaced.
