嫦娥一号卫星发射成功,登月梦想迈一大步

Chang'e I Blasted Off Successfully, Which

Meant A Big Step Closer To Moon

嫦娥一号卫星发射成功,登月梦想迈一大步

China's first lunar orbiter, Chang'e I, blasts off from its launch pad in the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, at about 6:05 pm October 24, 2007.

Published: October 25,2007

News from ChinadailyAt 6:05 pm, Chang'e I blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center atop a Long March 3-A carrier rocket.

The circumlunar satellite separated from the rocket at 6:29 pm and entered into Earth orbit, where it will travel for seven days, according to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

About an hour after the launch, Li Shangfu, director of the Xichang launch center, declared the endeavor a success after Chang'e I entered the Earth orbit and unfolded its solar panel for energy.

The control of the orbiter was then transferred to BACC.

"It marks another milestone in China's space program," said Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan at the Xichang center.

Developed with indigenous technology, the 1.4 billion yuan ($186 million) mission is considered the third milestone in the country's space venture, following the launch of the first satellite in 1970 and two manned missions in the past five years.

"This was a truly perfect launch. If I were to rate it, I would give it a hundred out of a hundred," said Zhou Jianliang, a deputy chief engineer at the Beijing center.

Chang'e I, named after a legendary Chinese fairy who flew to the moon, is expected to enter the Earth-moon transfer orbit on October 31 and reach the moon's orbit on November 5.

It will circle around the moon for a year to analyze chemical and mineral composition and to explore the characteristics of the lunar surface.

It will use stereo cameras and X-ray spectrometers to map three-dimensional images of the surface and study the moon's dust.

The satellite is expected to transmit its first photos back to Earth in the second half of next month.

It is the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a moon landing of a rover around 2012. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to Earth with soil and stone samples for scientific research around 2017.