In 1990, Japan broke a decades-long superpower monopoly on lunar exploration
In 1990, Japan launched the Hiten probe and successfully broke the long-standing Cold War duopoly on lunar exploration, becoming the first nation besides the U.S. and Soviet Union to reach the Moon.
For decades, the Moon was a private playground for the United States and the Soviet Union. This changed on January 24, 1990, when Japan launched the Hiten spacecraft. This pioneering mission signaled the end of the superpower monopoly and the beginning of a multi-national interest in deep space.
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