중국이 내년에 두번째 달 탐사위성인 ‘창어 2호’를 발사할 계획입니다.
중국 달탐사 위성 설계와 지휘의 총책임자인 중국과학원의 예페이젠 박사가 22일, 이같이 밝혔습니다.
예 박사는, 창어 1호는 비행고도가 달 상공 200킬로미터 지점이지만, 창어 2호는 달 상공 100킬로미터 궤도를 돌게 될 것이라고 말했습니다.
중국 언론들은 창어 1호가 태양에너지 공급이 차단되는 지구의 그림자 때문에 21일에 일시 통제센터와 교신이 끊겼다고 말했습니다.
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Chinese state media say Beijing plans to launch a second satellite to orbit the moon next year.
Today's (Friday's) announcement came from the chief of China's lunar satellite program and designer of its first probe, which is currently making a three-dimensional survey of the moon.
Chinese media say the satellite (named "Chang'e-1") briefly lost contact with its control center during an eclipse Thursday when the Earth's shadow blocked its supply of solar energy.
The mission chief (Ye Peijian) says the satellite "passed the test" by consuming only 40 percent of its battery power during the blackout, rather than the predicted 60-percent. Chinese scientists regained contact with the probe several hours later.
The lunar satellite is the first stage of a Chinese space program that aims to land an unmanned rover on the moon by 2012 and put a person there by about 2020.