china launches first moon rover mission
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Symbol of its rising global stature

China launches first moon rover mission

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today China launches first moon rover mission

Chang'e-3 rocket
Beijing - Arab Today

Chang'e-3 rocket Beijing - Arab Today China launched its first moon rover mission early Monday, state TV showed, the latest step in an ambitious space programme seen as a symbol of its rising global stature. The Chang'e-3 rocket carrying the Jade Rabbit rover blasted off around 1:30 am (Sunday 1730 GMT), the CCTV official broadcaster showed in live footage from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the country's southwest. As it shot into the dark sky, mission observers could be heard reporting at regular intervals that things were proceeding "normally". Within an hour the director of the launch centre Zhang Zhenzhong appeared before staff and declared the mission a "success", CCTV showed. The probe is due to land on the moon in mid-December to explore its surface and look for natural resources. It is the world's third lunar rover mission following the United States and former Soviet Union decades earlier. Chief probe designer Sun Zezhou hailed the mission as having "great scientific and economic significance", according to the Xinhua state news agency. "The mission has contributed to the development of a number of space technologies and some of them can be applied in civilian sector," it paraphrased Sun as saying. China sees its space programme as a symbol of its growing international status and technological advancement, as well as of the Communist Party's success in reversing the fortunes of the once impoverished nation. It aims to establish a permanent space station by 2020 and eventually send someone to the moon. Since 2003 it has sent 10 astronauts into space and launched an orbiting space module, Tiangong-1. It also sent probes to orbit the moon in 2007 and 2010. The first of those intentionally crashed into the moon's surface at the end of its mission. Data it collected was used to create in 2008 what Xinhua called "the most complete lunar hologram to date". The second probe was sent to "verify key technology", orbit the moon and take pictures of the landing site in preparation for Chang'e-3, Xinhua said. After completing that task it was sent into deep space to monitor an astroid. The latest mission would bolster scientific knowledge as well as national pride, said Morris Jones, independent space analyst based in Australia. "The Chinese are making rapid advances in spaceflight," he said. "They're going to get a lot of prestige out of this mission." The moon remains "largely unexplored", Jones added, so "I expect that the Chinese rover will probably throw a few surprises our way scientifically". The rover's name Jade Rabbit, or "Yutu", was chosen in an online poll of 3.4 million voters. It comes from an ancient Chinese myth about a rabbit living on the moon as the pet of Chang'e, a lunar goddess who swallowed an immortality pill. The vehicle can climb slopes of up to 30 degrees and travel at 200 metres (660 feet) per hour, according to its designer, the Shanghai Aerospace Systems Engineering Research Institute. Unlike earlier American and Soviet versions, the Chang'e-3 could "accurately survey landforms at the landing site and identify the safest spots on which to land", Xinhua has said. China was able to improve on earlier rovers by incorporating technology developed in recent decades, said Jones. These included optical navigation systems which could provide pictures to warn of unsafe landing spots, whereas American and Soviet rovers could only rely on radar to gauge their distance from the ground, he said. The mission had generated anticipation in recent days, with users of Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, vowing to stay up to watch the live coverage. "The news on TV about Chang'e 3 has made me incredibly proud," one commenter said ahead of the launch. Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

china launches first moon rover mission china launches first moon rover mission

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

china launches first moon rover mission china launches first moon rover mission

 



GMT 12:49 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

Senegal wants to buy 10 units of ship from PT PAL Indonesia

GMT 22:57 2017 Wednesday ,01 March

Trump lays out his vision of America to Congress

GMT 21:08 2017 Sunday ,17 September

OIC condemns suicide attack in Cameroon

GMT 00:59 2017 Sunday ,10 December

hmad Zahid's Visit To Rohingya Camp

GMT 02:25 2017 Friday ,24 February

Pope in emotion-charged visit to Italy quake zone

GMT 22:26 2016 Thursday ,22 September

Indian market closes higher

GMT 05:52 2016 Wednesday ,05 October

Robin Williams’ widow details actor’s final days

GMT 18:42 2017 Saturday ,07 October

Education, Works ministries discuss cooperation

GMT 03:11 2017 Friday ,14 April

5 Sudanese soldiers killed in Yemen

GMT 15:35 2017 Saturday ,25 February

United Nations chief arrives in Saudi

GMT 20:47 2017 Saturday ,07 October

PM asserts to bolster relations with Egypt
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday