China launches 1st lunar orbiter successfully

China launched its first lunar orbiter on Wednesday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. This marks the nation's first step towards realizing its dream of exploring the moon.

The orbiter and its carrier rocket left the ground at 6:05pm local time as scheduled.

The moon orbiter, Chang'e One, is named after a legendary Chinese fairy who flew to the moon. It headed for the upper limits of the atmosphere several minutes after launch, carrying with it the Chinese nation's dream of reaching and exploring the moon.

Zeng Peiyan, Vice Premier, said, "The success of this launch marks a crucial step for China's whole lunar exploration project. This project also bears key position in our efforts to build an innovative country. This success has set another milestone in China's space industry after the man-made satellite and manned spaceship."

Besides hundreds of reporters and tourists, space experts from Japan, Germany, Italy and other countries witnessed the historical moment at the site.

The lunar probe is expected to enter what's known as the earth-moon transfer orbit on Oct. 31 and move fully into the moon's orbit by Nov. 5. The satellite will relay the first pictures of the moon in late November and will then continue scientific explorations of the moon for a year.

The orbiter will carry out a series of projects. One of them will be taking 3-D images and analyzing the elements on the moon's surface.

The launch of Chang E One is the first step of China's 3-stage moon mission. The second phase will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover around 2012.

The third is expected to take another rover land on the moon and return to the Earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research in about 2017.

China's first proposal of sending objects to the moon was made 15 years ago.

In 1994, a plan on lunar exploration was approved by the central government and the first funds was appropriated for moon probing activities.

Editor:Yang Jie