China Lunar Rocket Launched Successfully, but Rained Debris on Villages

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By Eliza Strickland
Oct 5, 2010 2:33 AMNov 20, 2019 3:55 AM
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China successfully launched its second lunar probe on Friday, taking another step towards its goal of becoming a full-fledged space power. The probe, named Chang'e-2, made several maneuvers over the weekend to correct its trajectory, and is expected to reach the moon's orbit this week. The first Chang'e probe (they're named after a Chinese moon goddess) orbited the moon for 16 months before self-destructing in a controlled impact with the lunar surface. This second craft is expected to return better data, because it will orbit closer to the surface than its predecessor and carries a higher resolution camera.

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