Special report: China launches first lunar orbiter
BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China's first moon
orbiter Chang'e-1 is expected to conduct its fourth orbital transfer, also the
last before it leaves the earth orbit, on Wednesday afternoon.
Chang'e-1 moon orbiter is now moving on a 48-hour
orbit with the apogee of more than 120,000 km. It will begin to enter the
earth-moon transfer orbit with the apogee of about 380,000 km at around 6:00
p.m. on Wednesday, when it begins to fly to the moon in a real sense, said Zhu
Mincai, head of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).
The main engine of Chang'e-1 will be operational then
and help raise the speed of the orbiter to 10.916 km per second in a few minutes
before Chang'e-1 reaches the 'entrance' of the earth-moon transfer orbit, said
Zhu.
"It's a success-or-failure point and we only have one
shot as the fuel carried on the Chang'e-1 is limited," said Zhu. "If the orbiter
misses the entrance and it will keep moving on the earth orbit instead of flying
to the moon."
The lunar probe is estimated to fly another 114 hours
before it reaches the moon orbit on Nov. 5.
China successfully launched the Chang'e-1, named
after a mythical Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, on
Oct. 24.
The lunar probe was transferred to a 48-hour orbit
with an apogee of more than 120,000 km, up from the former 70,000 km, at 6:01
p.m. on Monday.
Chang'e-1 lunar probe to arrive at
apogee of 120,000 km Tuesday
BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's first moon
orbiter Chang'e-1 is expected to arrive at an apogee of more than 120,000km on a
new orbit around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, setting a new record in apogee at which a
Chinese aircraft has reached.Full story
China's Chang'e-1 lunar probe
completes third orbital transfer
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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>>> |
BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar probe
Chang'e-1 completed its third orbital transfer on Monday afternoon, one more
step forward in its 1,580,000-km journey to the moon. Full story
Chang'e-1 finishes 2nd orbital
transfer
BEIJING, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar
probe Chang'e-1 is expected to arrive at the apogee of more than 70,000
kilometers from the earth on early Saturday morning after having completed its
second orbital transfer on Friday, according to the moon probe team.Full story
Lunar probe Chang'e-1 completes first
orbital transfer
BEIJING, Oct. 27 -- China's first
lunar probe Chang'e-1 completed its first orbital transfer on Thursday
afternoon: another key move in its 2 million kilometer journey to the moon
orbit. Full story
