. 24/7 Space News .
China's Lunar Satellite Launch Open To Tourists

The lunar probe, previously scheduled to blast into space on Tuesday to coincide with this year's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, is expected to be launched late October.
by Staff Writers
Beijing, China (SPX) Oct 04, 2007
Tourists are being invited to pay 800 yuan (105 U.S. dollars) to witness the launch of China's first lunar satellite in Xichang, southwest Sichuan province. A travel agency in Xichang, where one of China's major satellite launch sites is located, has designed special travel packages for tourists wishing to view the historic launch.

"Tourists will have to pay 800 yuan to witness the launch from two observation platforms 2.5 km from the site," Wang Cheng'an, a manager at Xichang Jinying Travel Agency, told Shanghai Morning Post.

Wang said the two new observation platforms, which will be completed ahead of the launch on two opposite hillsides near the site, are capable of holding 2,000 and 500 people respectively.

More than 300 people have already applied for the 2,500 places but the successful applicants will have to pass security checks, according to the agency.

The lunar probe, previously scheduled to blast into space on Tuesday to coincide with this year's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, is expected to be launched late October.

The satellite project was approved by the Chinese central authorities in 2004 as part of the three-stage "Chang'e Program," named after the legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, which aims to place an unmanned vehicle on the moon by 2010.

Built in 1970, 28 satellites have been sent into space from Xichang, the second satellite launch center in China. Jiuquan in northwestern Gansu province hosted China's first rocket launch in 1958 and another facility is in Taiyuan, northern Shanxi province.

China is to build a fourth rocket launch pad on the southern tropical resort island of Hainan.

The base, in Wenchang, 60 km (40 miles) south of the provincial capital of Haikou, is expected to include a theme park. A spectators' platform will also be built on the sea, enabling 3,000 viewers to watch the rocket launches.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
The Chinese Space Program - News, Policy and Technology
China News from SinoDaily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


China To Build New Space Launch Center In Southernmost Province
Beijing (XNA) Sep 24, 2007
China plans to construct a new space launch center in Wenchang, China's southernmost Hainan Province, according to official sources. The new launch center aims to serve the next-generation rocket carriers that do emit poisonous and pollutive gas and new-type spacecraft. The new launch site will be mainly used for launching synchronous satellites, heavy satellites, large space stations, and deep space probe satellites, according to the plan which has been approved by the State Council and the Central Military Commission.







  • Russian Silkworms Spin First Space Silk In History
  • First Test: Main Parachute For Ares I Rocket
  • Iowa State Engineer Develops Technology To Quickly Find Leaks In Spacecraft
  • European Agency Offers To Take Indians For A Space Ride

  • Are manned missions needed to explore Mars and beyond
  • Duck Bay, Victoria Crater, Planet Mars
  • Spirit Arrives At Stratigraphic Wonderland In Columbia Hills On Mars
  • Spirit Makes Progress Across Home Plate

  • Ariane 5 Cleared For Intelsat 11 And Optus D2 Mission
  • Russian Space Launch Vehicle Firing Tests Set For 2008
  • Arianespace To Launch Japanese Satellite JCSAT-12
  • United Launch Alliance Launches 75th Consecutive Delta II On USAF 60th Anniversary

  • Successful Image Taking By The High Definition Television
  • Boeing Launches WorldView-1 Earth-Imaging Satellite
  • New Faraway Sensors Warn Of Emerging Hurricane's Strength
  • Key Sensor For Northrop Grumman NPOESS Program Passes Critical Structural Test

  • Maneuver Puts New Horizons On A Straight Path To Pluto
  • Outbound To The Outerplanets At 7 AU
  • Charon: An Ice Machine In The Ultimate Deep Freeze
  • New Horizons Slips Into Electronic Slumber

  • The Dark Matter Of The Universe Has A Long Lifetime
  • Into The Chrysalis
  • A New Reduction Of The Hipparcos Catalogues
  • Explosion Reveals Tiny Magnetic Island

  • A New Lunar Impact Observatory
  • Lunar Outpost Plans Taking Shape
  • Asia could win next 'Space Race', US scientists fear
  • Japan plans two more moon missions

  • New York taxi cabs sound the horn for second strike
  • EU deadlocked over funding for Galileo satnav project
  • EU plans for funding Galileo satnav system already hitting snags
  • Galileo GPS Network Hit By More Delays

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement