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The Chinese space program plans on launching a lunar satellite later this year

The ambitious Chinese space program plans to launch the Chang'e 1 orbiter in September -- the first of three steps towards having moon samples brought back to Earth.  Assuming the Chang'e 1 is able to successfully orbit the moon, it will then be sent on a mission to land on one of several designated zones of the lunar surface.  Officials hope Chang'e will send 3D images of the moon's surface back to Earth, along with studying lunar microwaves and estimating the thickness of soil on the moon's surface.

Phase one of the mission is to launch the probe to orbit the moon, which will take place later this year; phase two is to land on the lunar surface to take samples of the lunar surface; in phase three, another orbiter will land and take lunar and soil samples before heading back to Earth.

The moon rover mission would be launched in 2012, assuming everything else goes according to plan.

"The moon probe project is the third milestone in China's space technology after satellite and manned spacecraft projects, and a first step for us in exploring deep space," said Sun Laiyan, Chinese space agency chief.

China first announced plans for the lunar orbiter last year.  The space program is still interested in manned space missions, including a possible space walk in the future.

In 2003, China became the third country, behind the United States and former Soviet Union, to successfully put a human in space on the nation's own rocket.   The country plans on conducting a space walk by 2008.  China's developing space capability grabbed headlines in January after the country destroyed an ageing satellite by hitting it with a missile which was launched from Earth.

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Moon Landing
By FeralMisanthrope on 5/21/2007 5:21:11 PM , Rating: 4
I hope this satellite can put an end to all the conspiracy theories surrounding the moon landings.




RE: Moon Landing
By Etsp on 5/21/2007 5:32:27 PM , Rating: 1
Sadly, I don't think china will be a reliable source. It's possible(note: possible, not probable) that they may well decide to announce that they found no evidence that America landed on the moon 40 years ago, and then proceed to claim that the Peoples Republic of China are the true victors in the race to the moon. I don't think it would be that much of a stretch concerning their current policy regarding propaganda and censorship.


RE: Moon Landing
By Ringold on 5/21/2007 5:54:20 PM , Rating: 2
So then, we should hurry up and return to the Moon before they can and end once for all the controversy!

Oh wait, we can't. We'll be without manned access to space while they're tooling around the Moon painting it red. Damn.

Oh well.


RE: Moon Landing
By Min Jia on 5/21/2007 10:42:55 PM , Rating: 1
I'm Chinese and proud of it!


RE: Moon Landing
By Min Jia on 5/21/2007 10:43:33 PM , Rating: 1
I'm Chinese and proud of it!


RE: Moon Landing
By glenn8 on 5/22/2007 10:40:09 AM , Rating: 2
Come on now. China might be obsessed with controlling their people, but let's be realistic... who but a few nut cases truly believe the US faked the landing? China's not going to have their accomplishments depend on whether there are enough conspiracy theorists out there to make that scenario plausible.


RE: Moon Landing
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 5/21/2007 6:20:42 PM , Rating: 2
Really is not much to the conspiracy theories surrounding the moon landings. People who believe it’s a conspiracy would also believe a lot of other BS just to raise a stink, and since they were not old enough to see, it could not have happened….Just like the Viking never came to spots in North America, right? I did not see it, nor did Columbus so it must not have happened.
Let be honest there are thousands of things pointing to the fact we were there, but consider this: Hollywood was not capable of making a “realistic” space movie at the time. A good example of one of their better attempts would be “Barbarrella”, watch it sometime you’ll get an idea of the special effects abilities of the time. That’s why in 1976 -77 George Lucas was praised so highly for the movie Star Wars, it was the first realistic space movie. There was not a single person over the age of 24 on the special effect teams, because people over 24 years old knew what he was trying to do come not be done. Oppps…guess they were all wrong. So, George’s guys would have been under the age of 15 when the moon landing happened…Government is known for hiring young teenagers to handle such task…right? Or the government created that technology, but no one used it after words to make another movie between the moon landing and Star Wars to make millions of dollars…right that must be it? Or maybe the government sold George Lucas the technology on how to make these movies. We were there, it was expensive to go there and we had no justification to go back. Now, there are new reasons start to emerge. A launch pad for Mars? Can actually get to the moon for less cost and bring back enough minerals to justify going? And many others….


RE: Moon Landing
By 91TTZ on 5/21/2007 9:30:59 PM , Rating: 2
Let be honest there are thousands of things pointing to the fact we were there, but consider this: Hollywood was not capable of making a “realistic” space movie at the time. A good example of one of their better attempts would be “Barbarrella”, watch it sometime you’ll get an idea of the special effects abilities of the time.

2001: A space odyssey had fantastics special effects, and that was from 1968.

That’s why in 1976 -77 George Lucas was praised so highly for the movie Star Wars, it was the first realistic space movie. There was not a single person over the age of 24 on the special effect teams, because people over 24 years old knew what he was trying to do come not be done. Oppps…guess they were all wrong.

John Dykstra and Richard Edlund were 2 of the main guys on the visual effects team, and they were around 30 and 36.


RE: Moon Landing
By FeralMisanthrope on 5/22/2007 10:05:04 AM , Rating: 2
Well, obviously there's nothing to the conspiracy theories. The easiest way to debunk any conspiracy theory is to consider how many people would have had to have been in on it. In the case of the moon landing: thousands.

To believe that our government had the capability to fake the moon landing requires a leap of faith. To believe that every single person involved in such a massive conspiracy has kept this a secret for the last forty years is just plain gullibility.


RE: Moon Landing
By JohnnyCNote on 5/21/2007 10:10:07 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I hope this satellite can put an end to all the conspiracy theories surrounding the moon landings.


I held a moon rock once when I was in high school. I worked in a planetarium at the time when the "Moon Rock Tour" was in town. After the museum closed (in Jacksonville, FL), we were able to hold the rock (sealed in its glass container) before they took it to the local PD to lock up in the safe overnight.

I can't say it was different from terrestrial rocks, but it was very rough, dark and had a lot of shiny particles in it, and about the size of a golf ball. It didn't feel particularly otherworldly, but it was a unique experience. . .


nice name?
By dome1234 on 5/21/2007 3:10:44 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Chang'e 1


i've read somewhere that the name "Chang'e" is the name of an 'angel' who lives on the moon from ancient chinese folklore.

An orbiter hardly touches the moon, no? I'm gussing these guys would eventually do given the ambitions.




RE: nice name?
By mezman on 5/21/2007 4:53:57 PM , Rating: 4
I thought it meant "Super Double Lucky Lunar Satellite."


RE: nice name?
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 5/21/2007 5:09:41 PM , Rating: 6
Chang'e, Ch'ang-O or Chang-Ngo (Chinese: ??; Hanyu Pinyin: Cháng'é), also known as Heng-E or Heng-O (??; Héng'é), is the Chinese goddess of the moon. Unlike many lunar deities in other cultures who personify the moon, Chang'e only lives on the moon. As the "woman on the Moon," Chang'e could be considered the Chinese complement to the Western notion of a man in the moon. The lunar crater Chang-Ngo is named after her.

Chang'e is the subject of several legends in Chinese mythology, most of which incorporate several of the following elements: Houyi the Archer; an emperor, either benevolent or malevolent; an elixir of life; and the moon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang'e_(mythology)

An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. In Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, angels, as attendants or guardians to man, typically act as messengers from God.

Angels can not be god or goddess, but yes, Chage'e is the lady of the moon. I learned something new today thanks for the comment, otherwise I would have not looked it up. I wonder if the lady of the moon has ever meet the man on the moon????


RE: nice name?
By Min Jia on 5/21/2007 10:47:13 PM , Rating: 1
Chang'E is a Chinese goddess of moon, not angel.


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