As learned the department concerned is going to deliver officially the detecting equipment for the moon-exploration this year-the research work for "No.1 Chang'e detector" and the rocket carrier is in a steady progress which will be brought out from the factory by the end of next year.

According to Ai Guoxiang, commander-in-chief for the application system of the moon-probing, project, academician of the Chinese Academy of Science, for China's first scientific probing on the moon, China is going to launch a moon-probing satellite for the purpose with its main objective laid on prospecting for the usable resources on the surface of the moon. The stressed points for the exploration include the obtaining of the three-dimensional photos, probing of the soils on the moon, distribution of useful elements and mineral resources on the moon surface as well as the probing of the geo-lunar environment.

In accordance with the designing requirement the moon-probing satellite weighs 2350 kilograms. The effective loads carried by the moon detector include mainly the optical-detecting system, gamma and X-rays detectors, and microwave and some other detecting apparatuses for spatial environment.

The moon-probing project officially kicked off last year, namely the "No.1 Chang'e" Project consists of the three stages, i.e. to orbit and land on the moon and to recover, all being unmanned activities for moon-detecting only and according to the plan great efforts will be made to launch the "No.1 Chang'e" moon-orbiting satellite and its carrier into the space prior to the beginning of 2007.

By People's Daily Online