Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Chang'e-1 images moon's dark side


This undated photo shows a ray crater on the moon issued by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Dec. 11, 2007. The charge-coupled device (CCD) camera on Chang'e-1, China's first lunar orbiter, has started imaging probes on the dark side of the moon and captured photos of parts of this region, CNSA announced Tuesday.

(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>

BEIJING - The charge-coupled device (CCD) camera on Chang'e-1, China's first lunar orbiter, has started imaging probes on the dark side of the moon and captured photos of parts of this region, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced Tuesday.


The CNSA said that the orbiter is operating normally in terms of flying, probing, land control and communication, as well as data transmitting and processing.

The CNSA released the first picture of the moon captured by Chang'e-1 on Nov. 26, marking the full success of the lunar probe project.

Chang'e-1, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March 3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m. on Oct. 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan Province.