2007, October 24

On October 24, China lounched its first lunar orbiter, Chang'e 1 into space. It will be on a year-long mission to the Earth's moon, reaching it in early November. The satellite should send back pictures of the Moon's surface. The lounch of an unmanned lunar satellite is a key step toward's China's aim of putting a man on the Moon by 2020. Analysis: This successful lounch is heating up the Asian space race between Japan, India and China. In early October, Japan's lunar satellite had entered its orbit around the Moon. In 2003, China was the first Asian nation to put an astronaut in space, and in early 2007 China shot down an ageing weather satellite as part of its space weapons program.

Literature:

Brian Harvey: China's Space Program - From Conception to Manned Spaceflight. 2004 (Springer)

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