Chang'e 1
Chang'e 1 — China's first mission to the Moon, launched on 24 October 2007. From a polar orbit about 200 km up it made a map of the whole Moon at 120 m resolution and measured the surface's microwave glow, the first such survey of the Moon from orbit. It was flown into the Moon on 1 March 2009; China announced the impact at 1.50°S, 52.36°E, and the mark was later found in orbital images at 1.66°S, 52.27°E. (Its orbit is drawn to its published height; its position on it is representative.)
Key facts
Mission & specifications
Mission
- Operator
- CNSA
- Launched
- October 24, 2007
- Status
- Completed
Trajectory
- Distance from the Sun
- 1 AU
- Computed from the cached position
- Distance from Earth
- 0.348 AU
- Computed from cached positions
- Distance from Venus
- 0.379 AU
- Computed from cached positions
Mission
Chang'e 1, named for the goddess of the Moon in Chinese legend, was China's first mission to the Moon, built by the China Academy of Space Technology on a communications satellite platform. It was launched on a Long March 3A from Xichang on 24 October 2007 at 10:05 UTC and spent a week raising its Earth orbit before heading for the Moon. It entered lunar orbit on 5 November and by 7 November was in its science orbit, about 200 km above the surface and passing over the poles every 127 minutes. Its stereo camera built up a map of the whole Moon at 120 m resolution, released in November 2008, and its laser altimeter measured the Moon's shape. Its microwave radiometer measured the heat glowing from the soil at several wavelengths, the first survey of the Moon of its kind from orbit. In its last months it was lowered to 100 km and then 15 km at its lowest. On 1 March 2009 at 08:13 UTC it was flown into the Moon north of Mare Fecunditatis. China announced the impact at 1.50°S, 52.36°E; a later search of orbital images found the mark at 1.66°S, 52.27°E.
- 2007Chang'e 1 launches toward the Moon on a Long March 3A rocketLaunch
From Xichang.
- 2007Into lunar orbitArrival
Two days later it reaches its science orbit, about 200 km up over the poles.
- 2008A map of the whole MoonMilestone
At 120 m resolution.
- 2009Chang'e 1 is flown into the MoonMission end
North of Mare Fecunditatis, at 08:13 UTC.
Images
Images from open archives · credit shown per image