"Chang'e-1" (Chang'E1) is the first lunar probe independently developed and launched by China. The Chang'e-1 lunar exploration satellite of China's Lunar Exploration Project was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology. It is named after the ancient Chinese mythological figure Chang'e. Chang'e's flight to the moon is an ancient mythology spread in China. Chang'e-1 is mainly used to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, analyze the distribution characteristics of relevant material elements on the lunar surface, detect the thickness of the lunar soil, and detect the Earth-lunar space environment. The entire "flying to the moon" process takes about 8-9 days. Chang'e-1 will operate in a circular polar orbit 200 kilometers above the lunar surface. Chang'e-1 has a working life of one year and plans to fly around the moon for one year. There will be no return to Earth after the mission. With the successful launch of Chang'e-1, China became the fifth country and region in the world to launch a lunar probe.
Chang'e-1 is China's first artificial satellite orbiting the moon, and was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology. The Chang'e-1 platform is developed based on China's mature Dongfanghong-3 satellite platform, and fully inherits the existing mature technologies and products of satellites such as "China Resources Satellite-2" and "China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite" to adapt to Sexual transformation. The satellite platform was developed using Dongfanghong-3 satellite platform technology, and adaptive modifications were made to eight subsystems including structure, propulsion, power supply, measurement and control, and data transmission. Chang'e-1 is a rectangular body of 2 meters × 1.72 meters × 2.2 meters, with a solar cell sail panel on each side. When fully expanded, the maximum span reaches 18.1 meters and weighs 2,350 kilograms. The payload includes scientific detection instruments such as CCD stereo cameras, imaging spectrometers, solar cosmic ray monitors and low-energy particle detectors.
The Chang'e-1 lunar exploration satellite consists of two parts: the satellite platform and the payload. The Chang'e-1 satellite platform consists of 9 subsystems, including structural subsystem, thermal control subsystem, guidance, navigation and control subsystem, propulsion subsystem, data management subsystem, measurement and control data transmission subsystem, directional antenna subsystem and payload. composition. These subsystems perform their own duties and work together to ensure the successful completion of the lunar exploration mission. The payload on the satellite is used to complete scientific exploration and experiments on the moon, and other subsystems provide support, control, command and management assurance services for the normal operation of the payload.
Chang'e-1's engineering goals include: developing and launching China's first lunar exploration satellite; initially mastering the basic technology of lunar exploration; carrying out lunar scientific exploration; building a lunar exploration aerospace engineering system; and providing follow-up tools for lunar exploration. Gain experience in engineering. The tasks undertaken by Chang'e-1 include four scientific tasks: photographing a three-dimensional lunar terrain map; detecting the distribution of special elements on the moon; detecting the thickness of the lunar soil and helium-3 reserves; and detecting the space environment 400,000 kilometers away from the earth. The "Chang'e-1" satellite is mainly used to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, analyze the distribution characteristics of relevant material elements on the lunar surface, detect the thickness of the lunar soil, and detect the Earth-lunar space environment.
According to the four scientific missions of China's lunar exploration project, Chang'e-1 is equipped with 8 types of 24 scientific detection instruments weighing 130 kilograms, namely microwave detector system, gamma ray spectrometer, X-ray spectrometer, Ray spectrometer, laser altimeter, solar high-energy particle detector, solar wind ion detector, CCD stereo camera, interference imaging spectrometer.
In the preliminary prototype development stage, two preliminary prototype satellites, the electric satellite and the structural satellite, are responsible for satellite testing. The test of the electrical star is mainly used for comprehensive testing of some equipment with electronic performance. The test of the structural star is mainly used to assess the rationality of the structural design and the rationality of the temperature control design on the entire star. Two initial prototype stars were tested as a whole. The entire preliminary prototype testing phase lasted until June 2007, and then entered the development phase of the satellite prototype, and carried out the development of the "Chang'e-1" prototype satellite.
In order to ensure the completion of the lunar exploration project mission, 41 reliability design tasks were carried out on the Long March 3A rocket responsible for satellite launch tasks to improve its carrying reliability.
The "Chang'e-1" lunar exploration satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on October 24, 2007 by the "Long March 3A" carrier rocket. It operates in a circular polar orbit 200 kilometers above the lunar surface to perform scientific exploration missions.
At around 18:05 on October 24, 2007, Beijing time (UTC+8:00), the Chang'e-1 probe was successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March-3A carrier rocket. After the satellite is launched, it will take 8 to 9 days to complete the phase-modulation orbit segment, the Earth-moon transfer orbit segment and the lunar orbit segment. After eight orbit changes, it officially entered the working orbit on November 7. On November 18, the satellite changed to a moon-oriented attitude, and began to send back detection data on November 20.
On November 26, 2007, the China National Space Administration officially announced the first lunar surface image returned by the Chang'e-1 satellite.
At 10 a.m. on December 12, 2007, a meeting to celebrate the success of my country's first lunar exploration project was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.