Chang'e-1

Launch data: Designation  32273 / 07051A Launch date  24 Oct 2007 - 10:05 UT Launch site  Xichang Launch vehicle  CZ-3A Mission  Lunar probe Heliocentric orbit Perihelion / Aphelion   Incl. to ecliptic   ° Period   min

Description:

• The orbiter is based on the DFH-3 Comsat bus and has a mass of 2350 kg, approximately half of which is propellant and 130 kg of which is the scientific payload. It is basically a 2.0 x 1.7 x 2.2 meter box with two solar panel wings extending from opposite sides. The science payload comprises eight instruments: a stereo camera system to map the lunar surface in visible wavelengths, an interferometer spectrometer imager to obtain multispectral images of the Moon, a laser altimeter to measure the topography, a gamma ray and an X-ray spectrometer to study the overall composition and radioactive components of the Moon, a microwave radiometer to map the thickness of the lunar regolith, and a high energy particle detector and solar wind monitors to collect data on the space environment of the near-lunar region.

Mission:

• Chang'e 1 is China's first mission beyond Earth orbit. It is intended to expand the capabilities of China's space program, as well as to develop a topographic map of the Moon; map the composition of the Moon; measure the depth of the lunar soil; and observe the space environment between the Moon and Earth.
• China's first deep space probe was launched on Oct 24at 10:05 UT (18:05 Chinese Standard Time, 6:05 a.m. EDT). Chang'e-1 is designed to enter lunar orbit; its initial orbit was 221 x 50602 km x 31.0 deg, and by Oct 26 this had been raised to 594 x 71317 km.
• Chang'e-1 moon probe increased its Earth orbital apogee to 120000 km on Oct 29 at 1001 UTC, and again to 380000 km at 0915 UTC on Oct 31. It entered a 210 x 8600 km lunar orbit at 0337 UTC on Nov 5. The orbit inclination is polar.
• A second braking maneuver, from 03:21 to 03:35 UT on Nov 6, put the spacecraft into a 3.5 hour, 213 x 1700 km orbit and a third, from 00:24 to 00:34 UT on 7 November, slowed the probe to 1.59 km/s and put it into the final 127 minute, 200 km altitude, circular high-inclination science orbit. Chang'e 1 will orbit the Moon for a year to test the technology for future missions and to study the lunar environment and surface regolith.
• Chang'e-1 was deorbited at 07:36 UTC on Mar 1, 2009 and impacted the lunar surface at 1.50S 52.36E at 08:13 UTC. The impact site in Mare Fecunditatis is south-east of the crater Taruntius P and west of the Luna-16 landing site.

External links:

• EOportal.org Satellite description

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel, special cancel.