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Chang’e-1 completes first orbital correction

BEIJING: China’s lunar probe Chang’e-1 successfully carried out its first orbital correction on Friday morning in a bid to ensure that it travels on the pre-set orbit.

Instructions for the orbital correction were issued by the Beijing Aerospace Control Centre (BACC) at 10:25 a.m. on Friday, when two small engines on Chang’e-1 were ignited to slightly modulate its trajectory.

Eight minutes later, the orbital correction was completed.

The move, which was planned to be conducted on Thursday, was deferred as the probe was travelling on the expected trajectory in an “unexpected” way after it left the earth orbit late on Wednesday, said Wang Yejun, chief engineer of the BACC.

Chang’e-1 is named after a mythical goddess. It entered the earth-moon transfer orbit on Wednesday and is to arrive in the moon’s orbit on Nov. 5. — Xinhua

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