The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the SELENE (Kaguya) mission to the Moon in September 2007. Its instruments were designed to provide scientific data from a polar orbit of lunar origin and evolution and to develop the technology for future lunar exploration. In addition to the main spacecraft two smaller relay satellites provided real-time radio transmissions from the far side of the Moon to Earth. The mission lasted 21 months and ended June 10, 2009 with a controlled crash onto the lunar nearside.