China to launch moon probe orbitor in 2007
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-19 17:15
China's plans to launch its first lunar orbiter, named "Chang'e 1" - after a
female character from Chinese mythology who lived on the moon - in 2007 are on
schedule.
The moon orbiting project, the first step in China's overall lunar
exploration program that began in 2004, is proceeding smoothly, according to
Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of the moon probe program and an academician with
the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The orbiter will provide 3D images of the moon's surface, probe into the
distribution of 14 usable elements on the moon, study lunar microwaves and
estimate the thickness of the moon's soil on the whole moon. The craft will also
monitor the space environment between the moon and the earth, said Ouyang.
China's moon exploration program will be carried out in three stages. The
orbiting project will be followed by a remote-controlled lunar rover that will
perform experiments and send data back to Earth. In the third phase, a module
will drill out a chunk of the moon and bring it to Earth.
All three will be completed by 2017, when China will begin to consider a
manned lunar probe mission.
|
