China Launches Its First Circumlunar Satellite

[Photo/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]

The Chang'e 1 lunar probe satellite, China's first circumlunar satellite, was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Oct 24, 2007.

The first Chinese satellite to complete a lunar probe mission, Chang'e 1 was mainly used to collect 3D images of the moon's surface, analyze distribution of related physical elements and detect lunar soil thickness.

The Chang'e 1 mission was another milestone in China's space development.

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)