NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Chang'e 1

Launch Time
Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:05 UTC

First Chinese lunar probe.

Rocket

Long March 3A
Image Credit: CASC
CASC
Status: Retired
Price: $69.7 million
Liftoff Thrust: 2,962 kN
Payload to LEO: 8,500 kg
Payload to GTO: 2,600 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 52.52 m
Fairing Diameter: 3.35 m
Fairing Height: 8.89 m

Mission Details

Chang'e 1

Chang'e 1 (Chinese: 嫦娥一号) was an unmanned Chinese lunar-orbiting spacecraft, part of the first phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The spacecraft was named after the Chinese Moon goddess, Chang'e.

Chang'e 1 was launched on 24 October 2007 at 10:05:04 UTC from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. It left lunar transfer orbit on 31 October and entered lunar orbit on 5 November. The first picture of the Moon was relayed on 26 November 2007. On 12 November 2008, a map of the entire lunar surface was released, produced from data collected by Chang'e 1 between November 2007 and July 2008.

The mission was scheduled to continue for a year but was later extended and the spacecraft operated until 1 March 2009, when it was taken out of orbit. It impacted the surface of the Moon at 08:13 UTC. Data gathered by Chang'e 1 was used to create an accurate and high-resolution 3-D map of the lunar surface. Chang'e 1 was the first lunar probe to conduct passive, multi-channel, microwave remote sensing of the Moon by using a microwave radiometer.

Its sister orbital probe Chang'e 2 was launched on 1 October 2010.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 2,350.0 kg
Trans Lunar Injection

Location

LC-3, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China

Stats

2007

54th orbital launch attempt

Long March 3

37th mission
6th mission of 2007
32nd successful mission
23rd consecutive successful mission