spacetoday.net: China releases first Chang'e-1 image

Posted: Tue, Nov 27, 2007, 7:52 AM ET (1252 GMT)
Chang'e-1 illustration (CNSA)

The Chinese space agency released on Monday the first image of the lunar surface taken by its Chang'e-1 lunar orbiter. The image, unveiled in a ceremony by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, is a montage of 19 separate images of a region of the moon's southern hemisphere. Chang'e-1, China's first lunar mission, was launched last month and entered orbit around the Moon earlier this month. Besides its main camera the spacecraft also includes a number of other instruments used to study the lunar surface and space environment. Separately Monday, Chinese officials said they had no schedule for sending a human mission to the Moon, denying reports in Western media that suggested such a mission could take place by 2020.