国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

China to launch 2nd lunar probe before end-2011

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-12 21:03

BEIJING  -- China will launch a second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, before the end of 2011, an official said on Wednesday, while announcing the start of the second stage of the country's moon mission.

Related readings:  China approves 2nd-phase lunar probe program  First moon picture from lunar probe unveiled  Chang'e-1 lunar probe completes 1st orbital correction  China's first lunar probe Chang'e-1 blasts off

Chang'e-2, part of the second phase of the Lunar Probe Project, will conduct experiments involving five core technologies such as orbital  adjustments and soft landings, according to Chen Qiufa, director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

The probe will improve upon the design of Chang'e-1, the first lunar probe, Chen told reporters.

Also on Wednesday, China published its first full lunar map, based on data sent back by Chang'e-1, which blasted off last October from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

Another lunar probe, the Chang'e-3, will be launched during the second phase of the project by a Long March 3B carrier rocket, Chen said.

Chang'e-3 is designed to carry out missions including soft landings and inspection of the lunar surface, Chen said without elaborating.

The launch of Chang'e-1 was the first step in the country's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover in 2012 or thereabouts. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to Earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research in about 2017.

"Chang'e" is named after a legendary Chinese moon goddess.