China launched its first lunar orbiter on Wednesday amid a blaze of patriotic propaganda celebrating the country鈥檚 space ambitions and technological prowess.
The Chang鈥檈 I orbiter lifted off from the southwestern province of Sichuan at 1005 GMT. Barring technical failure, it will reach its orbit around the Moon on 5 November and spend more than a year scanning the lunar surface in preparation for an uncrewed rover planned for 2012 and a crewed landing in future decades.
A torrent of state media reports has celebrated Chang鈥檈 I, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the Moon, as visible proof of the country鈥檚 growing strength.
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鈥淲ithout a doubt, the launch of the Chang鈥檈 I will again show the world that Chinese people have the willpower, confidence and ability to constantly scale the heights of science and technology,鈥� said a commentator on the Sina website.
Thousands of space enthusiasts, tourists and reporters crowded slopes and viewing platforms near the small city to watch the launch, cheering as the rocket disappeared into the clouds and left a ribbon of smoke.
鈥楬omegrown鈥� innovation
President Hu Jintao told a Communist Party Congress last week that encouraging 鈥渉omegrown innovation鈥� would be a focus of state policy in coming years.
Indeed, many experts believe the Chang鈥檈 mission will boost the nation鈥檚 technological capabilities.
鈥淭his has important significance for China鈥檚 space programme development, in particular technologically,鈥� said Chan Kwing-lam, a Hong Kong-based expert in solar physics, who will study data sent back by the orbiter.
Chan said the feat would help China catch up technologically with Japan, which launched its own orbiter in September.
Space arms race?
Beijing鈥檚 space plans have faced increasing international scrutiny. Fears of a potential space arms race with the US and other powers have mounted since China blew up one of its own weather satellites with a ground-based missile in January.
Beijing has said that its intentions are peaceful. 鈥淐hina will not be involved in a Moon race with any other country and in any form,鈥� the chief commander of the orbiter project, Luan Enjie, told the country鈥檚 official Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.
In 2003, China became only the third country 鈥� after the US and the Soviet Union 鈥� to launch a man into space aboard its own rocket. In October 2005, it sent two men into orbit, and it plans a spacewalk by 2008.
In 2008, the US and India are also planning to launch lunar orbiters.
