Special report: China launches first lunar
orbiter
 |
|
The circumlunar satellite Chang'e-1
blasted off on a Long March3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m., Oct.24 from the
No. 3 launching tower in the Xichang Satellite Launch Center of
southwestern Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
Photo Gallery>>> |
XICHANG, Sichuan Province, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The
launch of China's first lunar probe Chang'e-1 was successful, a Chinese official
announced Wednesday evening at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest
China's Sichuan Province.
Li Shangfu, director of the Xichang launch center
made the announcement after the orbiter successfully entered the earth orbit and
unfolded its solar panel, paving the way for its transfer to the lunar orbit.
Chinese President Hu Jintao extended his
congratulations to all those who have worked for the lunar exploration program
shortly after the official announcement of the launch's success.
The launch of the lunar probe "marks another
milestone in China's aerospace program after man-made satellites and manned
space flights", said Chinese vice-premier Zeng Peiyan, who was watching the
launch at the Xichang launch center.
The launch of Chang'e-1 means that China has taken a
key step in its lunar exploration program. It is a symbol of China's bid to
build an innovative country, said Zeng.
Chang'e-1 blasted off on a Long March 3A carrier
rocket at 6:05 p.m. (10:05 GMT) from the No. 3 launching tower at the Xichang
Satellite Launch Center, the 15th successful launch in a row for the rocket.
It is the first step of China's three-stage moon
mission, which will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover around
2012. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to
earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research around 2017.
The year-long project, which is named after a
legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, is to analyze chemical and
mineral composition and to explore the characteristics of the lunar surface.
The 2,300-kg satellite will experience four
accelerations and is expected to enter earth-moon transfer orbit on October 31
and arrive in the moon's orbit on November 5.
It will use stereo cameras and X-ray spectrometers to
map three-dimensional images of the surface and study the moon's dust.
It is expected to transmit its first photo back to
China in the second half of November and then start to work for one year of
scientific exploration.
China carried out its maiden piloted space flight in
October 2003, making it only the third country in the world after the Soviet
Union and the United States to have sent men into space. In October 2005, China
completed its second manned space flight, with two taikonauts on board.
 |
|
The circumlunar satellite Chang'e-1
blasted off on a Long March3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m., Oct.24 from the
No. 3 launching tower in the Xichang Satellite Launch Center of
southwestern Sichuan Province. (Xinhuanet Photo)
Photo Gallery>>> |
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
