Nozomi: Earth and Moon . ... Credit Copyright: Nozomi MIC Team , ISAS . Courtesy Anthony Toigo Explanation: Japan launched its first mission to orbit Mars, Nozomi (Hope) , on July 3rd from the Kagoshima Space Center on the island of Kyushu . ... This stunning picture of the crescent Earth-Moon system was taken by Nozomi's onboard camera on July 18 from a point in space about 100,000 miles from the Earth and 320,000 miles from the Moon. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...