Special report: China launches first lunar orbiter

    BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Beijing held a grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People Wednesday morning to celebrate the success of the first stage of China's lunar probe program.

    President Hu Jintao is to deliver a speech at the assembly.

Chinese President Hu Jintao addresses a grand ceremony celebrating the success of the first stage of China's lunar probe project, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2007. China on Wednesday held the grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the success of the first-phase lunar probe project. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, presided over the meeting.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, presides over a grand ceremony celebrating the success of the first stage of China's lunar probe project, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2007. China on Wednesday held the grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the success of the first-phase lunar probe project. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Chang'e-1, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March3A carrier rocket on Oct. 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

    The satellite traveled nearly two million kilometers in its 15-day flight to the moon and reached its final working orbit with a fixed altitude of 200 kilometers on Nov. 7.

China holds a grand ceremony celebrating the success of the first stage of China's lunar probe program at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on Dec. 12, 2007. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The China National Space Administration released the first picture of the moon captured by Chang'e-1 on Nov. 26, marking the full success of the first stage of the country's lunar probe program.

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