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China launches its first mission to the moon in preparation for an upcoming unmanned mission.

China launches first mission to the moon


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    Daksha Rangan
    Digital Reporter

    Saturday, October 25, 2014, 4:39 PM -

    For China, travelling to the moon successfully will be a new adventure.

    On Friday, the nation launched an experimental spacecraft that is set to orbit the moon before returning to earth, marking China's first mission to the moon. The launch is considered a forerunner to an eventual unmanned mission to the moon. The purpose is to test technology that will be used in the more ambitious launch, scheduled to take place in 2017.

    The journey is expected to take one week, ending with the spacecrafts landing on the grasslands of Mongolia. According to state media, the unmanned spacecraft was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, western China, by a Long March 3C rocket. At the moment, the mission faces one main technical challenge: ensuring that the spacecraft slows down enough to re-enter Earth's atmosphere safely.


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    Hu Hao, chief designer of the lunar exploration program, said the aircraft shouldn't move too quickly. In an interview with The China Daily, Hao said if it moves too fast, it could overheat or become difficult to track and control.

    Last December, China sent a lunar rover, known as the Jade Rabbit, to the moon. According to the China Daily, the lunar rover has been plagued by mechanical troubles.

    Joan Johnson-Freese, professor at the U.S. Naval War College, said the lunar orbiter marks a step forward in the capabilities needed for a potential manned lunar program, which, while under discussion, hasn't officially been approved yet.

    "It's significance is not only in demonstration of technical abilities, but in a continued political will to achieve its space goals over long periods of time, which is what China has that the U.S. currently lacks."

    With files from CNN.

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