China launched its first moon orbiter today accompanied by a blaze of live-to-air patriotic propaganda celebrating the country's space ambitions and technological prowess.
The Chang'e One orbiter lifted off from the southwestern province of Sichuan. Barring technical failure, it will spend more than a year scanning the lunar surface in preparation for an unmanned moon vehicle
A Long March 3A rocket carrying the Chang'e One lunar orbiter blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China.
planned for 2012 and a manned landing in future decades.
Chinese television broadcast the take-off more or less live. Domestic news reports said unnamed senior leaders were at the launch site to witness the country's latest feat in space. The broadcast described the blast-off as untroubled.
A torrent of state media reports have celebrated Chang'e One, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, as a display of the country's growing strength.
"Without a doubt, the launch of the Chang'e One will again show the world that Chinese people have the willpower, confidence and ability to constantly scale the heights of science and technology," said a commentator on the Sina Web site (news.sina.com.cn).
The patriotic upswell was echoed among thousands of space enthusiasts and tourists who crowded onto viewing platforms near the small city to view the launch, paying 800 to 1,000 yuan ($100-130) for the privilege.
"This is our first probe to the moon, and it will be a symbolic event," said one spectator, a woman surnamed Bian. "I feel this is very important for us".
Thousands of villagers in a 2.5-km (1.6-mile) radius of the site were moved before the Long March 3A rocket heaved the 2,300-kg (5,071-pound) orbiter skyward, the China News Service reported.
"This has important significance for China's space programme development, in particular technologically," 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 technically with Japan, which launched its own orbiter last month.
Beijing's space plans have faced increasing international scrutiny. Fears of a potential space arms race with the United States and other powers have mounted since China blew up one of its own weather satellites using a ground-based missile in January.