China this morning sucessfully sent on its way the Chang'e One lunar orbiter from the southwestern province of Sichuan, amid much patriotic trumpeting of the country's technological prowess.
According to Reuters, the 10.05 GMT launch of the 2,300kg orbiter atop a Long March 3A rocket was watched by thousands of space enthusiasts and tourists who'd stumped between 800 to 1,000 yuan (£48-£63) to enjoy the spectacle from viewing platforms at the Xichang Centre. Thousands of less well-off locals living within 2.5km of the launch site were evacuated "as standard procedure".
More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/24/chinese_lunar_orbiter/
China has launched its first lunar orbiter, on a planned year-long exploration mission to the Moon.
The satellite, named Chang'e 1, took off from the Xichang Centre in south-west China's Sichuan province at 1800 local time (1000 GMT).
Analysts say it is a key step towards China's aim of putting a man on the Moon by 2020, in the latest stage of an Asian space race with Japan and India
More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7059356.stm
China's first lunar module has begun orbiting the Moon, 12 days after blasting off, officials have confirmed.
The satellite, named Chang'e I, slowed down as it reached lunar gravitational pull, 200km (120 miles) from the Moon.
Scientists intend to keep the probe in orbit for one year while it studies the surface and beams back images.
More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7079213.stm
China's lunar probe has arrived in orbit around the moon after a twelve day journey. It slotted into place yesterday, after receiving orders to slow down some 200km from its destination. It will spend the next year scanning the surface and reporting back, with images and data, to mission control.
The satellite, dubbed Chang'e I, has joined a similar orbiter sent up by the Japanese space agency JAXA, which arrived just weeks ago. India is planning a mission to the moon next year.
More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/06/china_moon/
China is celebrating the first pictures of the Moon beamed back by its Chang'e 1 spacecraft. The country's leaders hailed the mission as a success, but downplayed reports of plans to put a man on the Moon by 2020.
More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/26/china_moon_pics/
China's president Hu Jintao today described the country's Chang'e 1 lunar probe, which has successfully beamed back images of the Moon, as a "landmark achievement", Reuters reports.
Chang'e 1 reached lunar orbit at an altitude of 200km on 7 November. A subsequent snap released to the press released caused a bit of a rumpus when some claimed it was actually a doctored version of an image captured by the US defense department's Clementine probe in the mid-1990s (see pic: the Clementine image at the top, Chang'e 1 at the bottom).
More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/12/china_probe_speech/