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China's 2nd lunar probe Chang'e-2 enters earth-moon transfer orbit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-01 20:17

XICHANG, Sichuan - Chang'e-2, China's second moon probe, has entered the earth-moon transfer orbit as it separated from the carrier rocket, the control center said Friday.

Chang'e-2 entered the orbit with a perigee of 200 kilometers and apogee of 380,000 kilometers.

The circumlunar satellite is expected to take about 112 hours, or nearly five days, to arrive at its lunar orbit, compared with 12 days taken by the Chang'e-1 three years ago.

The 2.48-tonne satellite blasted off on a Long March 3C carrier rocket Friday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.