A Japanese satellite launched in January 1990, whose mission was to test and verify technologies for future lunar and planetary missions. Hiten was placed into a highly elliptical Earth orbit so that it passed by the Moon ten times during its lifetime. It carried a small satellite named Hagoromo that was put into orbit around the Moon. Among the mission's experiments were those for trajectory control using gravity assist double lunar swingbys, and also tests of telemetry, aerobraking, and the on-board computer. Hiten also detected and measured the mass and velocity of micrometeorite particles.

The mission was ended in April 1993 when Hiten was intentionally crashed into the Moon. It was Japan's first lunar fly-by, lunar orbiter, and lunar surface impact. Originally launched as Muses-A, Hiten was renamed after a flying Buddhist angel, and Hagoromo named after the veil worn by Hiten.