China’s first moon probe to blast off in three years

China’s first moon probe to blast off in three years

BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — China is well on its way to sending an unmanned space probe to fly to the moon, with first orbiter spacecraft expected to take off within three years, Tuesday’s China Daily quoted China’s lunar exploration scientists as saying.

“We are following the prescribed order of developing the necessary systems for lunar exploration, such as those for orbiter control and monitoring, data processing as well as the carrier rocket and explorer satellite,” said Ouyang Ziyuan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also chief scientist of the lunar exploration project.

Chinese scientists are developing the first lunar exploration craft, weighing around two tons. It is projected to orbit the moon for at least 12 months. The lunar orbiter is named “Chang’e-I”, an apparent reference to an ancient legend about the fairy Chang’e who flies to the moon, the paper said.

China’s lunar exploration program has gained expertise and experience from the country’s first manned space flight. Sending an unmanned craft to orbit the moon only constitute the first phase of China’s lunar probe scheme, Ouyang said.

Luan Enjie, director of China’s National Space Administration, said earlier he anticipated the orbiting phase to be completed by 2007 and the country would send a probe which will land on and return from the moon with lunar soil and rock samples by 2010.