Successful braking of Chang'e-1: breakthrough for China's space industry

Successful braking of Chang'e-1: breakthrough for China's space industry

China launches first lunar orbiter

BEIJING, Nov. 6 -- China's first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, is now orbiting the moon. Scientists at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center instructed the satellite to brake Monday, enabling it to be captured by lunar gravity.

Chang'e-1 was traveling at a speed of 2.4 kilometers per second at around 11:15 a.m., Beijing time Monday when it reached perilune.

Scientists then slowed the satellite down to 2.1 kilometers per second. The probe was captured by the Moon's gravity and entered the 12-hour lunar orbit after a 22-minute maneuver.

Scientists say the success of the braking procedure is significant to China's space industry.

Niu Hongguang, Vice Gen. Commander of Chang'e-1 Project, said, "The successful brake is a new breakthrough in our nation's aerospace measurement and control capacities. It also demonstrates that we have the ability to accurately control our orbiter at a distance of 380,000 kilometers."

After this first entrance into the Moon's orbit, Chang'e-1 will brake two more times in two days. The Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense held a press conference in Beijing Monday afternoon. There, experts said the orbiter still has challenges to face before it reaches its destination.

Long Jiang, Vice Gen. Commander of Satellite System, Chang'e-1 Project, said, "We must keep the orbiter circling the Moon while maintaining its position towards the Earth so as to control it. And at the same time, we have to keep its wings positioned towards the Sun for energy. It's a challenge to maintain the probe at a tri-position at all times."

Chang'e-1 will be slowed down after it enters the moon's orbit. It is scheduled to send back the first picture of the Moon later this month and will conduct scientific exploration of the moon for one year.