Beijing: China today successfully launched its first lunar probe, marking the start of its long-term odyssey to put its man on the moon by 2020.

Carrying lunar orbiter Chang e 1, China's workhorse rocket, Long March 3A, blasted off at 6.05 pm local time, leaving a trail of smoke and orange flame in a textbook launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre of southwestern Sichuan Province.

"The launch was very successful, and everything is proceeding just as planned," said Wu Ji, director of the Space Science and Applied Research Center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The 2,300 kg satellite, by far the most sophisticated one built by China, will beam the first picture of the moon in late November and continue its lunar exploration for a year, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Chang e 1, named after a legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, is expected to enter earth-moon transfer orbit on October 31 and move to the moon's orbit on November five.

The launch of the orbiter marks the first step in the three-stage moon mission. The second phase is a moon landing and launch of a moon rover around 2012 and in the third, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples around 2017.

The satellite, that cost 1 to 1.4 billion Yuans (about $133 TO 187 millions), would also carry out a series of projects including acquiring 3D images and analysing the distribution of elements on the moon s surface, it said. 

Source : PTI