China to launch lunar orbiter next week

[Sena Lee]

Pakistan congratulates nation on moon orbiter via China Daily

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf's text of felicitations to President Hu Jintao

Excellency,

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you and the friendly people of China for the successful launch of the first Chinese lunar orbiter, Chang’e 1 on a planned year-long exploration mission to the Moon.

It is indeed a glorious moment of pride for the great Chinese people. The launching is an outstanding example of China’s economic and technological modernization, a goal that China has pursued with admirable success since 1979. The people of Pakistan share this moment of happiness with our Chinese friends.

I would like to avail this opportunity to wish the Chinese Government successful completion of their future endeavours in space exploration, especially the plan for a manned mission to moon by 2020.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

General Pervez Musharraf

President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's message of felicitations to Premier Wen Jiabao

Excellency,

On behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan, I wish to congratulate Your Excellency and the friendly people of China on the successful launch of the first Chinese lunar orbiter, Chang’e 1.

It is indeed a matter of great pride to witness the achievements of the Chinese scientists for their endeavours into the space field. The launching of the lunar orbiter is a testimony to technological advancement and modernization achieved by China under its wise leadership.

I would like to avail this opportunity to wish the Chinese scientists involved in this project every success in their future endeavours.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration and personal esteem.

Shaukat Aziz

Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Pakistan congratulates nation on moon orbiter via China Daily

 

[gpit]

Update:

China's Chang'e-1 lunar probe completes third orbital transfer

2007-10-29 18:13:34

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar probe Chang'e-1 completed its third orbital transfer on Monday afternoon, one more step forward in its 1,580,000-km journey to the moon.

Instructions for the orbital transfer was issued by the Yuanwang-3 space tracking ship in south Pacific at around 5:56 pm.

At around 6:01 pm, the probe was successfully transferred to a 48-hour orbit with an apogee of 120,000 km, up from the former 70,000 km.

It will stay on the orbit until Oct. 31, when it is expected to enter the earth-moon transfer orbit, a critical point that may determine whether the satellite can fly to the moon successfully or not, according to experts at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

Ultraviolet image sensors installed on the satellite will begin to work to collect information on the earth and the moon after it enters the 48-hour orbit, Wang Yejun, chief engineer with the BACC told Xinhua.

It's the first time that an ultraviolet image sensor is put into actual use on a satellite, though a few countries had tested them on the ground, Wang said.

The images Chang'e-1 collects will be transmitted back to the earth when it enters the lunar orbit, Wang said.

Since Saturday, surveillance posts, on land and sea, and four astronomical observatories have kept watching over Chang'e-1. According to the data received so far, all systems of the satellite have been working normally.

The lunar probe completed its first orbital change on Oct. 25, in which it was transferred to a 16-hour orbit with a perigee of about 600 km from 200 km.

The probe completed its second orbital transfer on Oct. 26, which made it move on a 24-hour orbit with an apogee of 70,000 km, up from the former 50,000 km.

Chang'e-1, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m. on Oct. 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

The 2,300-kg satellite is expected to arrive in the moon's orbit on Nov. 5. It carried eight probing facilities, including a stereo camera and interferometer, an imager and gamma/x-ray spectrometer, a laser altimeter, a microwave detector, a high energy solar particle detector and a low energy ion detector.

It will fulfill four scientific objectives, including a three-dimensional survey of the Moon's surface, analysis of the abundance and distribution of elements on lunar surface, an investigation of the characteristics of lunar regolith and the powdery soil layer on the surface, and an exploration of the circumstance between the earth and the moon.

The satellite will relay the first picture of the moon in late November and will then continue scientific explorations of the moon for a year.

China's lunar orbiter project has cost 1.4 billion yuan (187 million U.S. dollars) since research and development of the project was approved at the beginning of 2004.

The launch of the orbiter marks the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover at around 2012. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research at around 2017.

China carried out its maiden piloted space flight in October 2003, making it only the third country in the world after the former Soviet Union and the United States to have sent men into space. In October 2005, China completed its second manned space flight, with two astronauts on board.

The launch of Chang'e-1 came shortly after Japan launched its first lunar probe, Kaguya, in mid-September, while India is planning to send its own lunar probe into space next April, sparking off concerns of a space race in Asia.

But Luan Enjie, chief commander of China's lunar orbiter project, said that "China will not be involved in moon race with any other country and in any form."

"China will, in the principle of pursuing a policy of peaceful use of airspace, share the achievements of the lunar exploration with the whole world," he told Xinhua.

 

[Sena Lee]

Chang'e I within 10 days of goal

The Chang'e I lunar probe Monday successfully completed its third orbital transfer, taking it one step closer to completing its 1.58-million-km journey to the moon.

Officials from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BAAC) said the probe successfully transferred to a 48-hour orbit at about 6:01 pm. It will stay on that path until tomorrow, after which it is expected to enter an Earth-moon transfer orbit, a critical point that might determine whether or not the satellite reaches its final destination.

Now at a distance of more than 120,000 km from Earth, Chang'e I has set a new record in China's aerospace history as the most distant satellite ever controlled by Chinese scientists. The previous record stood at 80,000 km.

Wang Yejun, chief engineer with the BACC, said ultraviolet image sensors installed on the satellite will soon begin to collect information on the Earth and moon once it enters the 48-hour orbit.

The images will not be transmitted back to Earth, however, until Chang'e I enters the lunar orbit, he said.

The China National Space Administration said on its website yesterday that land- and sea-based surveillance posts, as well as four astronomical observatories, have kept watch over the satellite's progress since Saturday.

"According to the data received so far, all systems have been working normally," it said.

In the following 10 days, Chang'e I is scheduled to carry out three critical moves, the administration said.

Tomorrow, it will enter the Earth-moon transfer orbit. During this time, any mistakes made will result in the failure of the mission, the administration said.

On November 5, Chang'e I will attempt to enter a lunar orbit, at which time it will run the risk of either crashing into the moon or flying straight past it.

Finally, on November 7, the satellite will attempt to move into a much tighter orbit, circling just 200 km above the moon's surface.

Yang Duohe, chief engineer at the lunar probe program center, said Chang'e I will send back data collected during this section of its flight on December 18. If that is successful, all detectors fitted to the satellite will be turned on to enable a full scientific probe, he said.

As of 7 pm on Sunday, Chang'e I had circled the Earth five times in 96 hours, the space administration said.

Ji Gang, a designer with the lunar program, said by the time the satellite reaches it final orbiting position, it will have traveled a total of 1,585,219 km. It has so far journeyed 500,000 km.

Chang'e I within 10 days of goal

 

[gpit]

Update:

China's lunar probe completes last orbital transfer before leaving earth

Xinhua - English 2007-10-31 17:39:39

BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar probe Chang'e-1 completed its fourth orbital transfer on Wednesday afternoon, a critical move to push it to fly to the moon "in a real sense."

The engine on the probe was started at 5:15 p.m.. Thirteen minutes later, the probe was successfully shifted to the earth-moon transfer orbit with an apogee of about 380,000 km.

The main engine of Chang'e-1 started operation and helped raise the speed of the probe to 10.916 km per second in a few minutes before the satellite reached the "entrance" of the earth-moon transfer orbit, said Zhu Mincai, head of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

The probe will then start to fly to the moon "in a real sense," Zhu said.

"It's a success-or-failure point and we only have one shot as the fuel carried on the Chang'e-1 is limited," said Zhu. "If the orbiter misses the entrance and it will keep moving on the earth orbit instead of flying to the moon."

The probe is estimated to fly another 114 hours before it reaches the moon orbit on Nov. 5.

The probe will brake for the first time on Nov. 5 when it arrives at a position 200 km away from the moon, which is considered another crucial moment, since the satellite will crash into the moon if the braking is too late or it may float elsewhere in space if the braking is too early.

"Before it enters the moon orbit, the probe will be subject to two or three orbit corrections, which will help it adjust the moving direction and speed to ensure that it will approach the perilune as designed," said Sun Zezhou, deputy chief designer of the satellite.

In moon explorations of other countries, lunar probes often lost in space due to unprecise flying postures and speeds, Sun explained.

Chang'e-1 was previously moving on a 48-hour orbit with an apogee of more than 120,000 km, which was raised from the former 70,000 km through a third orbital transfer on Oct. 29.

The probe completed its first orbital change on Oct. 25, which transferred the satellite to a 16-hour orbit with its perigee up from 200 km to 600 km.

It completed its second orbital transfer on Oct. 26, which made it move on a 24-hour orbit with an apogee of 70,000 km, up from the former 50,000 km.

The ultraviolet image sensors installed on the orbiter began working on the morning of Oct. 30 to collect information on the earth and the moon.

It's the first time that an ultraviolet image sensor is put into actual use on a satellite, though a few countries had tested them on the ground, said Wang Yejun, chief engineer with the BACC.

The images Chang'e-1 collects will be transmitted back to the earth when it enters the lunar orbit, Wang said.

Chang'e-1, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March3A carrier rocket at 6:05 pm. on Oct. 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

After the probe enters the moon's orbit, it will brake several times to slow down its speeds so that it can be captured by the lunar gravity to become a real circumlunar satellite.

The 2,300-kg satellite carried eight probing facilities, including a stereo camera and interferometer, an imager and gamma/x-ray spectrometer, a laser altimeter, a microwave detector, a high energy solar particle detector and a low energy ion detector.

It will fulfil four scientific objectives, including a three-dimensional survey of the Moon's surface, analysis of the abundance and distribution of elements on lunar surface, an investigation of the characteristics of lunar regolith and the powdery soil layer on the surface, and an exploration of the circumstance between the earth and the moon.

The satellite will relay the first picture of the moon in late November and will then continue scientific explorations of the moon for a year.

China's lunar orbiter project has cost 1.4 billion yuan (187 million U.S. dollars) since research and development of the project was approved at the beginning of 2004.

The launch of the orbiter marks the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover at around 2012. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research at around 2017.

China carried out its maiden piloted space flight in October 2003, making it only the third country in the world after the former Soviet Union and the United States to have sent men into space. In October 2005, China completed its second manned space flight, with two astronauts on board.

The launch of Chang'e-1 came shortly after Japan launched its first lunar probe, Kaguya, in mid-September, while India is planning to send its own lunar probe into space next April, sparking off concerns of a space race in Asia.

But Luan Enjie, chief commander of China's lunar orbiter project, said that "China will not be involved in moon race with any other country and in any form."

"China will, in pursuing its policy of peaceful use of airspace, share the achievements of the lunar exploration with the whole world," he told Xinhua

China's lunar probe Chang'e-1 completed its fourth orbital transfer on Wednesday afternoon, a critical move to push it to fly to the moon "in a real sense." (Xinhua Photo)

 

[Always Neutral]

Update:

China's lunar probe completes last orbital transfer before leaving earth

Xinhua - English 2007-10-31 17:39:39


China's lunar probe Chang'e-1 completed its fourth orbital transfer on Wednesday afternoon, a critical move to push it to fly to the moon "in a real sense." (Xinhua Photo)

Please post some moon photos as soon as you get them. Last week someone was trying to sell me land on the moon in my local pub for GBP 150/-

Best Regards

 

[gpit]

Scientist: lunar probe to fly to moon orbit with no more trajectory corrections
Xinhua - English 2007-11-04 06:02:53

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's first lunar probe Chang'e-1will fly to the moon orbit with no more orbital corrections, a scientist told Xinhua on Saturday.

Tang Geshi, a scientist with the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC), said that the center will order the satellite to apply the first break at about 10:00 on Monday with no more planned orbital corrections.

BACC carried out an orbital correction of Chang'e-1 on Friday, about nine days after its launch. "The correction has made the satellite run accurately in the transforming orbit heading to the moon, and another correction planned on November 4 will be unnecessary," Tang said.

The Chang'e-1 lunar probe has been flying at a speed of 500-meter per second to the space where the moon's gravity could capture it.

It has completed four orbital transforms and one halfway correction and is expected to enter the moon orbit on November 5.

China's first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, named after a fairy-tale Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March 3A carrier rocket on Oct. 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province.

Scientist: lunar probe to fly to moon orbit with no more trajectory corrections

 

[Sena Lee]

Lunar probe enters moon's orbit

China's first lunar probe, Chang'e I, successfully completed its first braking at perilune and entered the moon's orbit Monday morning, becoming China's first circumlunar satellite.

Chang'e I, following the instructions of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC), started braking at 11:15 am at a position around 300 km away from the moon and entered the moon's orbit at around 11:37 am after completing the braking, according to the BACC.

"It turns the satellite into a real circumlunar one, marking a new milestone in China's aerospace history and also the first move of the country's deep space explorations," said Sun Laiyan, deputy head of the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense.

"So far, each step in the lunar probe project has been completed almost perfectly," Sun said.

Wang Yejun, chief engineer of BACC, considers the first braking just in time to decelerate the probe, enabling it to be captured by the lunar gravity.

"The first braking at perilune is a key moment in the long journey of Chang'e-1," Wang said.

The speed of Chang'e I reached about 2.3 km per second when it started braking. It would likely fly away from the moon if the braking was too early, or it would crash into the moon if the braking was too late, scientists explained.

After the braking, the probe's speed was slowed down to 1.948 km per second and is now traveling along a 12-hour elliptical moon orbit, with a perilune of about 200 km and an apolune of about 8,600 km.

"The orbit that Chang'e I is now moving on fully tallies with the one we have designed and the speed is within a normal range," said Ji Gang, an engineer of monitoring and controlling branch of the moon probe program.

The probe is expected to brake for another two times in the following two days, which will slow down its speed first to 1.8 km per second to help it enter a 3.5-hour orbit and then to 1.59 km per second to make it enter a 127-minute round orbit, where it is supposed to start "working" formally.

Chang'e I will then stay a year in the round orbit, which is 200 km from the moon's surface, for scientific explorations.

Chang'e I, named after a legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March 3A carrier rocket on October 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province.

The probe completed its fourth orbital transfer on October 31, which shifted it to the earth-moon transfer orbit and pushed it to fly to the moon "in a real sense". Then it flied another 114 hours to arrive at the perilune 200 km away from the moon.

It was previously moving around the earth and experienced three orbital transfers, which lifted it up first to a 16-hour orbit with an apogee of 50,000 km, then to a 24-hour orbit with an apogee of 70,000 km and next to a 48-hour orbit with an apogee of more than 120,000 km.

On November 2, BACC successfully carried out an orbital correction for Chang'e I to ensure that it traveled on the pre-set orbit.

A second orbital correction scheduled for November 3 was called off because it was "unnecessary" -- Chang'e I had been running accurately on the expected trajectory, a BACC scientist said.

The 2,350-kg satellite carried eight probing facilities, including a stereo camera and interferometer, an imager and gamma/x-ray spectrometer, a laser altimeter, a microwave detector, a high energy solar particle detector and a low energy ion detector.

The ultraviolet image sensors, put into actual use on a satellite for the first time, has begun working since October 30 to collect information on both the earth and the moon.

Chang'e I is expected to relay the first picture of the moon in late November.

It will fulfil four scientific objectives, including a three-dimensional survey of the Moon's surface, analysis of the abundance and distribution of elements on lunar surface, an investigation of the characteristics of lunar regolith and the powdery soil layer on the surface, and an exploration of the circumstance between the earth and the moon.

China's lunar orbiter project has cost 1.4 billion yuan (US$187 million) since research and development of the project was approved at the beginning of 2004.

The launch of the orbiter kicks off the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover at around 2012. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research at around 2017.

China carried out its maiden piloted space flight in October 2003, making it only the third country in the world after the former Soviet Union and the United States to have sent men into space. In October 2005, China completed its second manned space flight, with two astronauts on board.

The launch of Chang'e I came shortly after Japan launched its first lunar probe, Kaguya, in mid-September, while India is planning to send its own lunar probe into space next April, sparking off concerns of a space race in Asia.

But Luan Enjie, chief commander of China's lunar orbiter project, said that "China will not be involved in moon race with any other country and in any form."

"China will, in pursuing its policy of peaceful use of airspace, share the achievements of the lunar exploration with the whole world," he told Xinhua.

Lunar probe enters moon's orbit

 

[gpit]

update:

China's first lunar probe enters moon's orbit

Xinhua - English 2007-11-05 11:50:44 ...

pictures

China's first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, started braking at perilune, which will help it slow down to enter the moon's orbit. Instructions for the braking was issued by the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) at around 11:15 a.m., Nov. 5, 2007, when the probe reached a position 200 km away from the moon. (Xinhuanet Photo)

 

[gpit]

Update:

Chang'e-1 completes 2nd braking, closer to final orbit

Xinhua - English 2007-11-06 11:51:59

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, completed its second braking on Tuesday's morning, which further decelerated the satellite to get it closer to its final orbit.

Chang'e-1, following the instructions of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC), started the second braking at 11:21 a.m. and entered a 3.5-hour orbit with a perilune of 213 km and an apolune of 1,700 km at around 11:35 a.m. after completing the braking.

"The second braking was done just as accurately as the first one and the satellite has entered the orbit just as designed," said Zhu Mincai, head of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

"The second braking has laid a good foundation for the probe's entry into its final working orbit tomorrow," Zhu said, adding that scientists and engineers will continue their calculation and measurement in the afternoon to ensure a success maneuver on Wednesday.

"So far, orbital transfers of the probe have all been done accurately," said Bian Bingxiu, a researcher with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

"The precise ground maneuvers and orbital transfers have saved a lot of fuel, which may prolong the probe's working time on its final orbit by around one year," Bian said.

Zhu Mincai said that the probe will brake for the third time at around 8:09 a.m. on Wednesday to enter its final orbit, marking success of the probe's whole flying journey to the moon.

The third braking will slow down the probe's speed to 1.59 km per second to put it on a 127-minute round polar circular orbit, where it was originally planned to stay a year for scientific explorations.

"In the prolonged period, the probe can carry out some other scientific tests, which may help acquire experience for China's second- and third-stage moon missions," Bian said.

The launch of Chang'e-1 kicks off the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover at around 2012. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research at around 2017.

The BACC cancelled two pre-set orbital corrections while the probe traveled along the earth-moon transfer orbit from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, calling them "unnecessary" as Chang'e-1 had been running accurately on the expected trajectory.

So far, the satellite has experienced four orbital transfers, one orbital correction and two brakings. All these maneuvers usually consumed a great deal of fuel, scientists explained.

Because of the planned maneuvers, the fuel that the 2,300-kg Chang'e-1 carries accounts for nearly half of the satellite's total weight.

Before the second braking, Chang'e-1 was traveling along a 12-hour elliptical moon orbit, with a perilune of about 210 km and an apolune of about 8,600 km.

Chang'e-1 successfully completed its first braking and entered the moon's orbit at around 11:37 a.m. on Monday, which made it become a "real" circumlunar satellite.

The probe, named after a legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March 3A carrier rocket on Oct. 24from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province.

The probe is expected to fulfill four scientific objectives, including a three-dimensional survey of the Moon's surface, analysis of the abundance and distribution of elements on lunar surface, an investigation of the characteristics of lunar regolith and the powdery soil layer on the surface, and an exploration of the circumstance between the earth and the moon.

 

[gpit]

Update:

Fuel saved by accurate maneuvers may prolong probe's work by one year


Xinhua - English 2007-11-06 13:08:54

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The fuel saved by accurate orbital maneuvers may help prolong the working time of Chang'e-1, China's first lunar probe, by about one year, said a Chinese researcher on Tuesday.

"So far, orbital transfers of the probe have all been done accurately," said Bian Bingxiu, a researcher with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, following the probe's successful second braking.

Chang'e-1 completed its second braking and entered a 3.5-hour orbit with a perilune of 213 km and an apolune of 1,700 km at around 11:35 a.m. on Tuesday.

"The precise ground maneuvers and orbital transfers have saved a lot of fuel, which may prolong the probe's working time on its final orbit by around one year," Bian said.

Chang'e-1 is expected to brake for the third time to enter a 127-minute round polar circular orbit, where it was originally designed to stay a year for scientific explorations.

...


Fuel saved by accurate maneuvers may prolong probe's work by one year

 

[Sena Lee]

Chang'e I completes trip to moon successfully

China's first lunar probe, Chang'e-I, completed its nearly two-million-km flying journey to the moon successfully on Wednesday morning and entered its working orbit.

The probe, following instructions of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC), started its third braking at 8:24 a.m. and entered a 127-minute round polar circular orbit at 8:34 a.m. after completing the braking.

The TV pictures showed work staff in the ground control center hailing the success with colored newsletters featuring a black headline "Circling the Moon, We Made It!" on the frontpage.

TV scenes also highlighted gray-haired Luan Enjie, chief commander of China's lunar probe project, and also silver-haired Sun Jiadong, chief designer of the project, wearing smiles and holding hands together tightly.

"It puts a successful end to the probe's long flight to the moon," Luan said.

"The satellite entered the designed working orbit just in time and very accurately today," said Sun, who has joined hands with Luan for more than a decade to develop, test and carry out the country's ambitious lunar probe project.

Ye Peijian, chief commander and designer in charge of the satellite system, said that all the maneuvers in the flight have been completed precisely. "The accuracy is much higher than our expectation."

"It's a landmark moment. It proves that we have the ability to send our satellite to circle around the moon," Ye said.

China sent its first satellite into the Earth orbit in 1970, with major new breakthroughs in its space program achieved in recent years.

The country carried out its maiden piloted space flight in October 2003, making it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to have sent men into space. In October 2005, China completed its second manned space flight, with two astronauts on board.

"Chang'e-I has presented an extraordinary achievement, since it's the first time that Chinese scientists manage to maneuver a satellite 390,000 km away from the earth," said Wang Yejun, chief engineer of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

"The probe will travel along the orbit at a stable altitude of 200 km above the moon's surface. In each circle, it will always pass the two polars," Wang said.

The round orbit is also the final destination of the probe, where it is supposed to start carrying out all the planned scientific exploration tasks.

"The probe's precise entry into the orbit has laid a solid foundation for its future work, and we are confident that Chang'e-I will continue to fulfill the aims step by step," said Ma Xinrui, general manager of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC) in charge of the rocket and satellite systems.

The 2,350-kg satellite carried eight probing facilities, including a stereo camera and interferometer, an imager and gamma/x-ray spectrometer, a laser altimeter, a microwave detector, a high energy solar particle detector and a low energy ion detector.

According to the project's plan, Chang'e-I will open all the instruments aboard it to start scientific explorations after a period of orbit testing.

"Currently, all the facilities are in very good conditions. Next, scientists need to maintain smooth communications between the ground and the satellite and keep it in the orbit," said Zhang He, director of the CASTC's space technology research institute.

Chang'e-I is expected to fulfil four scientific objectives, including a three-dimensional survey of the Moon's surface, analysis of the abundance and distribution of elements on lunar surface, an investigation of the characteristics of lunar regolith and the powdery soil layer on the surface, and an exploration of the circumstance between the earth and the moon.

"One of its major tasks is to probe the mineral elements on the moon, especially those not existent on the earth," Zhang said.

"The lunar regolith is abundant in helium-3, a clean fuel that may support the earth's energy demands for more than a century," she said, admitting that there is still a long way to go from the probing of the element to its actual use.

Chang'e-I was originally designed to stay on the orbit for one year, but Tang Geshi, an official in charge of the orbital control with BACC, estimated that smooth operations and precise maneuvers may have saved 200 kg of fuel and help prolong the probe's life span.

"The satellite is designed to take ground orders on November 18 to position all the instruments towards moon, a posture facilitating the probing work, and the maneuver may last 100 minutes," said Li Jian, an official with the BACC.

However, Zhou Jianliang, deputy chief engineer of the BACC, revealed that they are considering to give the order ahead of the schedule, since the satellite is in "a very good state".

In addition, the satellite will also position its solar panel towards the sun for power generating and the directional antenna towards the earth to allow data to be transmitted back to the earth.

Chang'e-I will relay the first black-and-white picture of the moon after the instruments are positioned to the moon.

"Actually, what the probe transmits back is just abstract data, which will need six hours to be processed into a two-dimensional picture and about a day into a three-dimensional one," Li Jian said.

Chang'e-I, named after a legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March 3A carrier rocket on October 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province.

Chang'e I completes trip to moon successfully

 

[gpit]

Thanks Sena for following up the news!

 

[gpit]

Sorry, I’m too busy these days. Just couple of updates. All from Chinese sources.

Nov. 12, 2007, Xinhua claimed that due to movement of the Moon, Chang’e-1 was out of contact with the earth for about 45 minutes. This is the first prolonged loss of communication with the orbiter.

Nov. 13, somebody posted “Is Chang’e-1 lost?” on a Chinese website, with some 100k hits and a vast amount of replies during a short period of time.

Nov. 14, Chinese media reported that the orbiter remains in 200km orbit above the Moon, doing an overall system checking (or self-checking).

Nov. 16, Long Lehao, vice chief designer of Chang’e-1, member of Chinese Academy of Engineering, said through telephone that Chang’e-1 orbiter is moving normally around the moon. He said that the system checking will be completed around Nov. 18, and that “stuffs” from the Moon are expected around Nov. 20.

China has signal coverage of 92%-98% for the orbiter. It is wherefore normal that occasionally the signal from the orbiter can’t be got even it is not blocked by the Moon. And this is already factored in the design of the orbiter.

Academician Long Lehao.


For the Nov. 16 update, see (in Chinese) http://www.china.com.cn/news/txt/2007-11/17/content_9242472.h

 

[Sena Lee]

Thanks Sena for following up the news!

Your welcome

 

[gpit]

update:

Chang'e-1 opens facilities for data transmission

English_Xinhua 2007-11-20 20:50:44

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's first lunar orbiter Chang'e-1, which is now circling the moon at a stable altitude of 200 km, has opened its facilities to transmit data back to earth, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said Tuesday.

The facilities will be tested over the next few days which will help ensure smooth operation of the probe and reliable data transmission, spokesman Pei Zhaoyu said.

By 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Chang'e-1 had orbited the moon 158 times and was in good condition, he said.

The satellite has gone through a number of tests since it entered the moon's orbit on Nov. 7 and adjusted its position to point its probing facilities toward the moon on Monday.

Monday's maneuvers also positioned the probe's solar panel toward the sun and the directional antenna toward the earth to allow data to be transmitted back to earth.

Chang'e-1 is expected to start working soon after the tests are done and will relay its first picture of the moon in late November.

Chang'e-1 opens facilities for data transmission_English_Xinhua