Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of China's lunar probing project briefed on China's lunar orbiting plan at a lecture given in Pudong residence community, East China's Shanghai City on May 15.

According to Ouyang, the moon orbiting, the first step of moon probing project, has seen completed apparatus and program design. The orbiting satellite will set off from Xichang Satellite Launching Center to the moon carried by Long March III Rocket. Blasted with the rocket, the satellite must orbit the earth for several times before being ignited to accelerate when flying over the launching base till it forwards as fast as to escape from the gravity of the earth. And when arriving on moon, the satellite must decelerate to adapt itself to the gravity of the moon to orbit it. Therefore the satellite has to arrive on moon till nine days after leaving the launcher.

With regard to the short-distance probe on the moon, besides soft Lander and lunar rover, China is likely to place a seismograph to monitor moonquakes, minor planets running into the moon and the structure of rock layer on the moon.

Ouyang suggested that, if an observatory on the moon can be established, it will be a best sentinel to monitor meteorological phenomena on the earth. Yet no other country has ever had such equipment on the moon.

(People's Daily May 17, 2004)