China launches first lunar probe
Posted: Wed, Oct 24, 2007, 7:57 AM ET (1157 GMT)
China successfully launched its first lunar orbiter mission on Wednesday. A Long March 3A rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China at 6:05 am EDT (1005 GMT, 6:05 pm Beijing time) and placed the Chang'e-1 spacecraft an elliptical Earth parking orbit shortly thereafter. Chang'e-1 is scheduled to remain in that parking orbit until October 31, when it will go into a translunar trajectory and enter lunar orbit on November 5. Chang'e-1 carries a number of cameras and other sensors to study the Moon's surface and composition. The mission, highly anticipated within China, is the first in a three-stage robotic exploration plan that also includes a lander with rover and a sample return mission. Chang'e-1 is the second spacecraft launched to the Moon in as many months, after Japan's launch of the Kaguya lunar orbiter in September.
China successfully launched its first lunar orbiter mission on Wednesday. A Long March 3A rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China at 6:05 am EDT (1005 GMT, 6:05 pm Beijing time) and placed the Chang'e-1 spacecraft an elliptical Earth parking orbit shortly thereafter. Chang'e-1 is scheduled to remain in that parking orbit until October 31, when it will go into a translunar trajectory and enter lunar orbit on November 5. Chang'e-1 carries a number of cameras and other sensors to study the Moon's surface and composition. The mission, highly anticipated within China, is the first in a three-stage robotic exploration plan that also includes a lander with rover and a sample return mission. Chang'e-1 is the second spacecraft launched to the Moon in as many months, after Japan's launch of the Kaguya lunar orbiter in September.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, February 11
Jet Propulsion Laboratory anticipating major cuts in NASA budget
KPCC-FM Pasadena, CA — 4:06 pm ET (2106 GMT) Satellites spot Syrian violence from space
Spaceflight Now — 4:05 pm ET (2105 GMT) One giant leap for former fast-food joint
Mountain View (CA) Voice — 4:04 pm ET (2104 GMT) Orion hoping for success with second generation parachute system
NasaSpaceFlight.com — 8:53 am ET (1353 GMT) Small company is sky-high
Santa Maria (CA) Times — 8:01 am ET (1301 GMT) |