Japan eyes sending micro lunar probe on solid-fuel rocket in 2020s english.kyodonews.net

KYODO NEWS - 3 hours ago - 15:20 | Japan, AllJapan's space agency is aiming to send a micro explorer to orbit the Moon, possibly in the first half of the 2020s, using a solid-fuel Epsilon rocket, a source familiar with the matter said Monday.
JAXA's Epsilon rocket is designed to carry small satellites at a lower cost.
In the project, the Epsilon will be fitted with a fourth stage called a "kick stage," to which a space probe housing a micro explorer will be attached.
Once the rocket is launched into orbit, the kick stage will thrust the space probe carrying an ultra-small explorer further toward the Moon.
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