Chang'e-3 lunar probe, aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket, blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China at 1:30 a.m. Monday. It is expected to soft-land on the moon in mid-December. (Photo: CCTV)
Related:
China announces launch of Chang'e-3 lunar probe "successful"
XICHANG, Sichuan, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The launch of China's lunar probe Chang'e-3 was "successful," the Xichang Satellite Launch Center announced Monday.
Zhang Zhenzhong, director of the center, made the announcement after the lunar probe entered the earth-moon transfer orbit and unfolded its solar panels. Full story
China's lunar probe enters earth-moon transfer orbit
XICHANG, Sichuan, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar probe Chang'e-3 has entered the earth-moon transfer orbit after it separated from the carrier rocket, space authorities announced Monday.
Chang'e-3 arrived at the orbit with a perigee of 200 kilometers and an apogee of 380,000 kilometers as scheduled. Full story
China launches probe and rover to moon
XICHANG, Sichuan, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China launched the Chang'e-3 lunar probe with its first moon rover aboard early on Monday.
The lunar probe, aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket, blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China at 1:30 a.m. Monday. Full story
Backgrounder: The Moon in Chinese poetry
Backgrounder: China's "triple jump" progress in lunar probes
Backgrounder: Timeline of China's lunar program
