Click to play videoNew Delhi: China's first lunar probe, Chang'e One, blasted off on its mission on Thursday from the launch centre in Sichuan province.
The launch went off without a hitch. Named after China's Moon Goddess, Chang'e One is a manned spacecraft, carrying two Chinese astronauts.
It will move into lunar orbit on November 5 and will be in position for one year sending back three-dimensional pictures of the Moon.
Using sophisticated stereo cameras and X-ray spectrometers, it will analyse dust on the lunar surface. This is the first phase in China's ambitious plan to put an unmanned rover on Moon in 2012 and a man there before 2020.
The lunar orbiter blasted off aboard a Long March 3A carrier rocket at 6.05 pm (local time) in clockwork precision from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre of southwestern Sichuan province.
Chang'e One is by far the most sophisticated satellite China has ever built, according to experts who said it would be maneuvered at least 10 times before it reaches moon's orbit.
An unexpected torrential rainfall gave anxious moments from 4.05 am to 7.10 am but it gave way to relief to the Chinese space scientists after the weather cleared.
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