Xi Jinping congratulates Chang'e-3 mission's complete success

BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday night congratulated the success of Chang'e-3 lunar probe that completed the country's first softlanding on lunar surface.

The moon rover Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, and the lander took pictures of each other on Sunday night, a move that marked the complete success of Chang'e 3 mission. Xi, along with Premier Li Keqiang and other senior officials, watched the live broadcast of the move at Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

After the photographing, Ma Xingrui, chief commander of China's lunar program, announced the Chang'e-3 mission was a "complete success".

In a congratulatory message sent by the Communist Party of China Central Commitee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, the success of the Chang'e 3 mission was hailed as a "milestone" in the development of China's space programs, a "new glory" of the Chinese people in their exploration of the frontiers of science and technology and "outstanding contribution" of the Chinese nation in the mankind's peaceful use of the space.

The message, read by Vice Premier Ma Kai, attributed the success of the mission to the staunch leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the general secretary and the implementation of the country's innovation-driven development model on the front of space programs.

Chang'e 3 mission marked the full completion of the second phase of China's lunar program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to the Earth, reads the message.

After the mission, China's lunar program will enter a new stage of unmanned automatic sampling and return, which will be more difficult with unprecedented challenges.

The Chang'e-3 mission is one of the most complicated and difficult tasks in China's space program, the message said, adding that exploring the universe and seeking peaceful use of space are dreams of the Chinese nation for thousands of years.

Comprising a lander and moon rover Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, Chang'e-3 lunar probe soft-landed on moon at 9:11 p.m. Saturday Beijing Time. Yutu later separated from the lander and rolled to moon surface earlier Sunday.

The Chang'e 3 mission makes China the third country after the Soviet Union and the United States to soft land a spacecraft on lunar soil.

嫦娥三号圆满成功 习近平观看互拍成像并祝贺慰问

新华网北京12月15日电（记者霍小光、吴晶晶、李宣良）中国探月工程嫦娥三号任务15日深夜传来捷报。嫦娥三号着陆器、巡视器顺利完成互拍成像，标志我国探月工程二期取得圆满成功。中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平专程前往北京航天飞行控制中心观看实况，代表党中央、国务院、中央军委，代表全国各族人民，向全体参研参试人员表示热烈祝贺和诚挚慰问。

中共中央政治局常委、国务院总理李克强一同观看。

15日23时许，习近平来到北京航天飞行控制中心。他首先听取了探月工程二期任务实施进展情况汇报，对任务已经取得的各项成果表示肯定。习近平饶有兴致地观看了嫦娥三号巡视器——“玉兔”号月球车1∶1模型，向负责讲解的探月工程总设计师吴伟仁详细了解月球车结构设计、月面生存方法、车载相机功能等相关问题。

此刻，远在地球38万千米之外，嫦娥三号已成功着陆在月球虹湾区域，“玉兔”号月球车安全驶离着陆器到达月面。着陆器和巡视器开始了就位探测、自动巡视勘察。

23时35分，习近平等来到飞控大厅，通过巨型电子显示屏观看两器拍摄成像情况。刚刚通过巡视器全景相机拍摄的着陆器图像已经显示在屏幕上。

“相机拍照、图像下传。”随着测控指挥员下达指令，着陆器开始通过地形地貌相机对巡视器成像。

习近平聚精会神地观看显示屏上的三维演示和各项参数，聆听着扩音器里传出的各项口令。

23时45分，经过地面数据接收和处理，飞控大厅大屏幕上显示出“玉兔”号月球车的清晰图像，一面五星红旗鲜艳夺目。

习近平等同指挥大厅内的测控人员一起鼓掌。

探月工程总指挥马兴瑞宣布，嫦娥三号任务取得圆满成功。全场再次响起长时间的掌声。

中共中央政治局委员、国务院副总理马凯宣读了中共中央、国务院、中央军委的贺电。贺电说，探索浩瀚宇宙、和平利用太空，是中华民族的千年梦想和不渝追求。以嫦娥三号任务圆满成功为标志，我国探月工程将全面转入无人自动采样返回的新阶段，任务更加艰巨，挑战前所未有。希望工程全体同志紧密团结在以习近平同志为总书记的党中央周围，深入贯彻落实党的十八大和十八届二中、三中全会精神，大力弘扬“两弹一星”精神和载人航天精神，再接再厉，团结拼搏，改革创新，锐意进取，不断谱写中国航天事业发展新篇章，为全面建成小康社会、不断夺取中国特色社会主义新胜利、实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦作出新的更大贡献。

在喜悦热烈的气氛中，习近平等来到飞控大厅科研人员中间，同大家一一握手，致以问候。

许其亮、范长龙、栗战书、杨晶，中央军委委员张又侠参加上述活动。

嫦娥三号探测器于12月2日从西昌卫星发射中心升空，准确入轨。14日，嫦娥三号探测器在月面成功软着陆，科学探测任务陆续展开。嫦娥三号任务的圆满成功，实现了我国航天器首次在地外天体软着陆和巡视勘察，标志着我国探月工程“绕、落、回”第二步战略目标取得全面胜利，在我国航天事业发展中具有重要里程碑意义。