Chang'e 1 facts for kids
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| Mission type | Lunar orbiter |
|---|---|
| Operator | China National Space Administration |
| Mission duration | Planned: 1 year Achieved: 1 year, 4 months, 4 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 2,350 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 24 October 2007, 10:05:04.602 UTC |
| Rocket | Chang Zheng 3A |
| Launch site | Xichang LC-3 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Deorbited (Moon impact) |
| Decay date | 1 March 2009, 08:13:10 UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Selenocentric |
| Periselene | 200 kilometres (120 mi) |
| Aposelene | 200 kilometres (120 mi) |
| Inclination | 64 degrees |
| Period | 127 minutes |
| Lunar orbiter | |
| Orbital insertion | 5 November 2007 |
| Impact site | 1°30′S 52°22′E / 1.50°S 52.36°E |
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Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
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Chang'e 1 was an uncrewed Chinese spacecraft. It was designed to orbit the Moon. This mission was the first step in China's plan to explore the Moon. The spacecraft was named after Chang'e, a goddess from Chinese myths who lives on the Moon.
Chang'e 1 launched on October 24, 2007, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. It traveled towards the Moon and entered lunar orbit on November 5, 2007.
The spacecraft sent back its first picture of the Moon on November 26, 2007. Later, in November 2008, a full map of the Moon's surface was released. This map was made using all the information Chang'e 1 collected.
The mission was supposed to last one year. However, it was extended and kept working until March 1, 2009. On that day, Chang'e 1 was guided to crash onto the Moon's surface. The data it gathered helped create a very detailed 3D map of the Moon. Chang'e 1 was also the first lunar probe to use special microwave tools to study the Moon.
Its follow-up mission, Chang'e 2, launched in October 2010.
Contents
China's Lunar Exploration Plan
The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program is a big plan to explore the Moon step by step. It has four main phases:
- Phase 1: Reaching the Moon. This was completed by Chang'e 1 in 2007 and Chang'e 2 in 2010. They successfully orbited the Moon.
- Phase 2: Landing and Driving. Chang'e 3 landed on the Moon in 2013, and Chang'e 4 landed in 2019. They also had small rovers to explore the surface.
- Phase 3: Bringing Samples Back. Missions like Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 are designed to collect Moon rocks and soil and bring them back to Earth.
- Phase 4: Building a Research Station. This phase involves setting up a robotic research station near the Moon's south pole.
China hopes to send people to the Moon in the 2030s. They also plan to build an outpost there.
What Chang'e 1 Aimed to Do
The Chang'e 1 mission had four main goals:
- Mapping the Moon: To create detailed 3D pictures of the Moon's surface. This would help plan future missions that would land softly on the Moon. Chang'e 1's orbit was designed to map areas near the Moon's north and south poles that other missions had not covered.
- Finding Elements: To find and map different chemical elements on the Moon's surface. This was to see if there were useful resources. China wanted to study more elements than previous missions, including things like potassium, thorium, uranium, and oxygen.
- Studying Lunar Soil: To learn about the Moon's soil, how deep it is, and if there is helium-3 present. Helium-3 is a rare element that some scientists think could be a future energy source.
- Exploring Space Environment: To study the space between Earth and the Moon. This included looking at the solar wind and how the Sun's activity affects both Earth and the Moon.
The Mission Journey
The Chang'e 1 mission was carefully planned. Its launch was moved from April 2007 to October 2007. This was because October was a better time to send a satellite to the Moon.
Chang'e 1 launched on October 24, 2007, using a Long March 3A rocket. It lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China.
After launching, Chang'e 1 orbited Earth three times. With each orbit, it moved further away from Earth. Finally, on October 31, 2007, it was sent on its way to the Moon. On November 5, 2007, it successfully entered a special orbit around the Moon. To celebrate this, the probe played 30 famous Chinese songs.
Scientists on Earth controlled the probe from stations in Qingdao and Kashgar, China. The European Space Agency's tracking station in Maspalomas also helped.
The first pictures from the Moon arrived on November 26, 2007. Chang'e 1 was planned to orbit the Moon for one year. But it kept working longer, until March 1, 2009.
Mission End
On March 1, 2009, Chang'e 1 completed its mission by crashing onto the Moon's surface. This was a planned event. The impact point was at 1.50 degrees South, 52.36 degrees East. During its time orbiting the Moon, the probe sent back a huge amount of data. It transmitted about 175 gigabytes of information.
Spacecraft Design and Tools
The Chang'e 1 spacecraft weighed about 2,350 kilograms (about 5,180 pounds). It carried 24 different tools, weighing 130 kilograms (about 287 pounds). These tools helped it study the Moon.
Some of the main instruments included:
- Stereo Camera: This camera took pictures to create 3D views of the Moon's surface.
- Laser Altimeter: This tool used a laser to measure the height of features on the Moon. It helped create accurate maps.
- Imaging Spectrometer: This instrument studied the light reflected from the Moon to learn about its surface materials.
- Gamma and X-ray Spectrometer: These tools looked for different elements on the Moon by detecting X-rays and gamma rays.
- Microwave Radiometer: This was a special tool that used microwaves to study the Moon. It could even look a few meters deep into the Moon's surface.
- Particle Detectors: These tools measured high-energy particles and solar wind. This helped scientists understand the space environment.
Key Achievements
Chang'e 1 achieved several important things:
- It created the most accurate and detailed 3D map of the Moon's surface at that time.
- It was the first lunar probe to use passive, multi-channel microwave sensing to study the Moon.
See also
- Chinese space program
- Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP)
- Exploration of the Moon
- List of missions to the Moon
- List of artificial objects on the Moon
