Giant step into space

Source: China Daily | 10-26-2007 16:34

BEIJING, Oct. 26 -- In the eyes of the Chinese, the moon has many faces. Chinese men of letters have traditionally eulogized this white bright disc as the symbol of feminine beauty, the longing for one's homeland and pure love.

With the country's first lunar orbiter, Chang'e I, lifting off into space yesterday, the Chinese have never been so close to unveiling the true face of this closest neighbor of our planet.

Those who witnessed the launch either on the spot or on TV screens found their excitement and pride similar to that of 2003 when the country succeeded in sending its first astronaut into space.

Yesterday's launch constituted the first step in the country's moon probe mission, and marked significant progress in our space industry which has been developing in a fast and sound way.

We owe our gratitude to Chinese space scientists and engineers whose hard work in the past three years made yesterday's spectacle a reality. The fact that this ambitious mission, with the final goal of landing spacemen on the moon in 15 years, entirely relies on Chinese technology speaks volumes for the country's growing national strength and advancement in science and technology.

When the satellite, named after the Chinese legendary goddess who flew to the moon, starts to send back the first pictures next month, we will be able to know more about this celestial body and the environment we are living in. This will also contribute to mankind's continued knowledge of the universe.

The country has long before made clear that its space programs are for peaceful purposes. Hence, it is willing to join international cooperation in peaceful space exploration.

We believe international cooperation will be a trend in space exploration in the future as a result of the endless pursuit of mankind and the motivation of global scientific development.

In fact, a lot of countries have expressed willingness to cooperate with China in this regard, and some have cooperated with China in some areas on a small scale.

It is expected that China's implementation of the moon probe mission will usher in more opportunities of cooperation with other countries so that mankind's space exploration could be made even stronger.

Editor:ZhangNing