KOUROU, French Guiana (AFP) - The European Space Agency (ESA) got its first moon mission underway, launching into orbit lunar explorer SMART-1 which will make its way slowly to the moon and start making observations in December 2004. According to David Southwood, ESA director of scientific programs, the probe is the first in a series of Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology, or SMART.

SMART-1 will help scientists to solve certain enigmas concerning the formation of the moon, its exact mineralogical composition, and whether it contains water and if so in what quantities.