China launches moon orbiter with patriotic blast

By Royston Chan

XICHANG, China (Reuters) - China launched its first moon orbiter on Wednesday amid 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 at 1005 GMT. Barring technical failure, it will reach its lunar orbit on November 5 and spend more than a year scanning the lunar surface in preparation for an unmanned moon vehicle planned for 2012 and a manned landing in future decades.

Chinese television broadcast the event more or less live, and senior leaders were present to witness the country's latest feat in space.

A Beijing control centre called the launch a "complete success", the Xinhua news agency reported.

A torrent of state media reports has celebrated Chang'e One, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, as visible proof 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 by thousands of space enthusiasts, tourists and reporters from across the country who crowded slopes and viewing platforms near the small city to watch the launch, cheering as the rocket disappeared into the clouds leaving a ribbon of smoke.

"I'm very happy. The Chinese people are really great," yelled a local man surnamed Wu as the Long March 3A rocket heaved the 2,300-kg (5,071-pound) orbiter skyward.

Thousands of villagers in a 2.5-km (1.6-mile) radius of the site were moved before the launch -- a reminder that in this country expensive, world-challenging technology sits next to dirt-floor hardship.

GREAT SIGNIFICANCE

"This has important significance for China's space program 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 with a ground-based missile in January.

Beijing has said that its intentions are peaceful.

"China will not be involved in a moon race with any other country and in any form", the chief commander of the orbiter project, Luan Enjie, told Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.