JAXA may cancel moon mission. For 10 years they have had setbacks developing a 'penetrating probe' for the moon mission. In that time the mission's mother ship satelitte has fallen into dis-repair. I wonder how many pinky fingers were lost during the development of that satelitte? JAXA is said to be concentrating on their SELENE mission to measure the electro-magnetic & gravitational fields of the moon.

Lunar ambitions for China, Japan, others

China will launch the Chang’e I, a lunar orbiter, in 2007. During its 1 year mission they will engage in imaging and studies of the moon's surface. They will also be looking at the distribution of 14 usable elements on the moon's surface.

Japan's JAXA will also launch a lunar orbiter in 2007. The mission is more extensive than China's mission, however they will be studying very much the same things as the Chinese (surface and subsurface architecture, mineral deposits).

The European Space Agency's SMART-1 recently completed a lunar orbiter mission.

JAXA was able to unfold a large antennae for their Kiku No. 8 satellite as it orbited earth. The satellite is to be used for telecommunications and scientific measurements of time.