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Chang’e-1 journey “successful”

BEIJING: China’s first lunar probe, Chang’e-1, completed its around two-million-km journey to the moon successfully on Wednesday and entered its working orbit.

The probe started its third braking at 8:24 a.m. and entered a 127-minute round polar circular orbit at around 8:35 a.m. after completing the braking.

“It puts a successful end to the probe’s long flight to the moon,” said Luan Enjie, chief commander.

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

“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 poles,” said Wang Yejun, chief engineer of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

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-1 will continue to fulfil the aims step by step,” said an official. — Xinhua

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