China Launches New Lunar Probe Chang'e 2 to Scout the Moon's 'Bay of Rainbows'

China successfully launches Chang´e 2 Play Video Chief Designer: Getting closer to the moonPlay Video China Launches Second Robotic Moon Probe By SPACE.com Staff posted: 01 October 2010 09:28 am ET

An unmanned moon probe blasted off from China Friday (Oct. 1) to begin the country's next phase of lunar exploration and set the stage for even more ambitious spaceflights to come.

The Chinese moon probe, called Chang'e 2, launched at 6:59:57 a.m. EDT (1059:57 GMT) from the Xichang Space Center in southwestern China's Sichuan province, according to state media reports. It should take about five days for the spacecraft to enter orbit around the moon.

The Chang'e 2 spacecraft soared into space atop one of China's Long March 3C rockets. It launched on Oct. 1, National Day in China – a holiday that commemorates the 61st anniversary of Communist rule in the country. 

Chang'e 2 is the second step in China's three-phase Chang'e moon exploration program, which is named after China's mythical moon goddess. Chang'e 2 will test out technology and collect data on possible landing sites for the Chang'e 3 spacecraft, which is scheduled to land on the moon in 2013, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency has reported.

According to media reports, the mission has a cost of about $134 million.

Chang'e 2  will eventually swoop down to an orbit just 9 miles (15 km) above the lunar surface to take high-resolution pictures of landing areas for the Chang'e 3 mission, Xinhua has reported.

After snapping the photos, Chang'e 2 will retreat to an altitude of about 62 miles (100 km) to conduct a study of the lunar surface and dirt. 

The Chang'e 1 probe launched in October 2007 and conducted a 16-month moon observation mission, after which it crash-landed on the lunar surface by design, in March 2009. 

The Chang'e missions are just one prong of China's burgeoning space program, which has seen three successful manned spaceflights, including the nation's first spacewalk on the most recent mission, the Shenzhou 7 flight of 2008. 

China's New Lunar Probe to Scout the Moon's 'Bay of Rainbows' By SPACE.com Staff posted: 01 October 2010 03:45 pm ET

When the unmanned moon probe launched by China today (Oct. 1) arrives at its destination next week, it will target a specific zone on the lunar surface to scout out future landing sites, the country's state-run media reports. 

The robotic Chang'e 2 spacecraft will take a close look at the moon's Bay of Rainbows, or Sinus Iridium, which has been proposed as a potential landing site for China's next moon-bound mission, the Xinhua News Agency reported today.
Chang'e 2 will send back high-resolution photos of the region to help mission planners pick the best landing targets for Chang'e 3 – the probe that is expected to make China's first unmanned moon landing in 2013. 

"The geological structure in this area is diverse, so a probe there would have greater scientific value," Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, told Xinhua. 

The Bay of Rainbows is approximately 147 miles (236 kilometers) wide. Its coordinate location is around 44 degrees north latitude and 31 degrees west longitude. 

Four or five areas have been identified as possible landing grounds for the Chang'e 3 spacecraft, Wu said, but the Bay of Rainbows is the current frontrunner, Xinhua reported. 

"Other places on the moon have already been landed on, so we want to choose one that has not been explored before," he said. "Previously, most lunar programs landed around the equator of the moon, an area easier for monitoring and control maneuvers, but Chang'e 3 will take on greater challenges." 

Chang'e 2 launched at 6:59:57 a.m. EDT (1059:57 GMT) from the Xichang Space Center in southwestern China's Sichuan province, according to state media reports. 

It should take about five days for the spacecraft to enter orbit around the moon. 

After snapping the photos, Chang'e 2 will retreat to an altitude of about 62 miles (100 km) to conduct a study of the lunar surface and dirt. 

The Chang'e 2 mission follows on the success of China's first lunar probe, Chang'e 1, which launched in October 2007 and ended its flight in March 2009. Chang'e 1 crashed into the moon after completing its mission. 

China is also the third country after Russia and the United States to launch manned spaceflights. The country has launched three manned space missions using its Shenzhou spacecraft, most recently the Shenzhou 7 flight of 2008. That mission included China's first three-person spaceflight and China's first spacewalk.

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A Chinese Long March 3C rocket stands poised to launch China's second moon mission, the Chang'e 2 lunar orbiter, on Oct. 1, 2010. Credit: CALT

A Chinese Long March 3C rocket launches the unmanned Chang'e 2 lunar probe toward the moon on Oct. 1, 2010 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Credit: CALT

An unmanned Chinese Long March 3C rocket blasts off with the unmanned Chang'e 2 lunar probe toward the moon on Oct. 1, 2010 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The mission is China's second lunar exploration flight ever. Credit: CALT

An artist's illustration of a lunar sample return mission, the third phase of China's planned decade-long Moon exploration plan, slated for 2017. Credit: CNSA. Click to enlarge.

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China's Second Moon Probe to Launch This Weekend

China's Second Moon Probe to Launch This Weekend
By Mike Wall
SPACE.com Senior Writerposted: 30 September 2010


China plans to launch its second lunar probe this weekend, possibly as early as Friday (Oct. 1), according to the nation's official Xinhua news agency.

On Thursday, workers will begin fueling the Long March rocket that will blast the unmanned Chang'e-2 probe into space from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, Xinhua reported. 

Launch will occur "at an appropriate time" between Friday — China's National Day, when the country marks 61 years of Communist rule — and Sunday (Oct. 3), according to Xinhua.

Chang'e-2 is the second step in China's three-phase Chang'e moon exploration program, which is named after China's mythical moon goddess. Chang'e-2 will test out technology and collect data on possible landing sites for the Chang'e-3 spacecraft, which is scheduled to land on the moon in 2013, Xinhua reported.

According to the state news agency, Chang'e-2 should arrive at lunar orbit about five days after launch. It will eventually swoop down to an orbit just nine miles (15 km) above the lunar surface to take high-resolution pictures of landing areas for Chang'e-3.

After snapping the photos, Chang'e-2 will retreat to an altitude of about 62 miles (100 km) to conduct a study of the lunar surface and dirt. 

The Chang'e-1 probe  launched in October 2007 and conducted a 16-month moon observation mission, after which it crash-landed on the lunar surface by design, in March 2009. 

Chang'e is just one prong of China's burgeoning space program, which has seen three successful manned spaceflights, including the nation's first spacewalk on the most recent mission, the Shenzhou 7 flight of 2008.

Weather forecasts for the Xichang area this weekend are for overcast skies with possible showers, Xinhua reported. 

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Trade War! US Trade Protectionism

WTO warns against US possible trade protectionism measures

GENEVA - The World Trade Organization (WTO) reviewed the trade policy of the United States on Wednesday in Geneva, warning against its possible protectionism measures against its trade partners.

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A relating report was issued by the WTO secretariat with the review. While ranking the US trade and investment regimes as " among the most open in the world," the report also listed possible protectionism measures applied by the United States against its trading partners.

"The United States had 246 antidumping duty (AD) orders in effect in December 2009, 22 more than in December 2007 ... affect imports from 40 countries or territories," and countervailing duties (CVD) "final orders increased from 31 in 2007 to 41 in December 2009," the report said.

The United States is experiencing "a marked slowdown in the pace of negotiating free-trade agreements (FTAs)," the report added.

The report also expressed its concerns over "some anti-recession measures," including "provisions that favored domestic suppliers of goods and services."

Trading issues between the United States and its major trading partner China are also repeatedly mentioned in the report, including the additional imports duty apply on tyre imports from China and the decision by the United States in 2007 to abolish its long-standing policy of not applying CVD on China.

Sun Zhenyu, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of China to the WTO said in a statement during the review "there is an incremental setback of free trade vis-vis trade protectionism in the US, particularly during and after the financial crisis."

Sun is worried about the side-effect that might be brought about by the expansionary monetary policy of the United States and its step back from the due leadership role in Doha Round negotiations.

During the review, many WTO members blamed the United States for not playing an active part in pushing ahead the Doha round negotiations and urged the United States to assume its role at an early time.

Trade Policy Review is an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries' trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. All WTO members are subject to review, with the frequency of review depending on the country's size.

The tenth review of the trade policies and practices of the United States takes place on 29 September and 1 October 2010. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of the United States of America.

WTO rules China win over US imports dispute

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-30 07:09

GENEVA - The World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a report of the panel on Wednesday, supporting China over its complaint against measures taken by the United States which have affected imports of poultry from China.

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The panel ruled that Section 727, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, applied by the US had effectively prohibited the lifting of the ban on poultry imports from China, and inconsistent with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). 

The panel concluded that the United States trade regime has not acting in accord with the specified provisions of the SPS Agreement and the GATT 1994, and has "nullified or impaired benefits accruing to China under those agreements."

In 2004, China and the United States stopped importing poultry products from each other for fear of the bird flu. China had called off the ban on poultry import from the United States when the situation was relieved.

Access of Chinese poultry to the US market is still blocked, because of the application of Section 727 passed by the US congress, which restricted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its agency, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) from using funds allocated by the US Congress to create a rule to lift the poultry ban on China.

At the request of China, a panel was established by the WTO on 23 September 2009 to investigate the case.

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