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  • LASER ALTIMETERS: Test site for laser altimeters of the Chang'e-2 lunar probe on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • TEST SITE: Test site for the Chang'e-2 lunar probe on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • INFORMATION CHAIN: Engineers set up an information chain for China's second lunar probe Chang'e-2 on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • NOISE TEST: Noise test for the Chang'e-2 lunar probe on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • TEST: China's second lunar probe Chang'e-2 undergoes tests at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • RECHECKING: Scientists recheck the quality of the Chang'e-2 lunar probe on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • TEST: Scientists test the ultraviolet lunar sensor of the Chang'e-2 lunar probe on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • EMERGING: China's second lunar probe Chang'e-2 emerges from a tank after a vacuum heat test on October 1, 2010 (XINHUA)
  • HI-TECH DEVICE: The charge-coupled device camera carried with Chang'e 2 (XINHUA)
  • HI-TECH DEVICE: The Υ-ray spectrometer carried with Chang'e 2 (XINHUA)
  • HI-TECH DEVICE: The 490N engine monitor camera carried with Chang'e 2 (XINHUA)
  • HI-TECH DEVICE: The high-speed data microwave modulator carried with Chang'e 2 (XINHUA)
  • ABUSTLE: As launch time nears, all the preparations are ready while technicians busily answer phones at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center on October 1, 2010 (LIU WEIBING)
  • ATTENTION: Engineers carefully observe a screen that shows information about the satellite launch on October 1, 2010 (LIU WEIBING)
  • MEDIA FOCUS: Journalists wait for the launch of Chang'e-2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on October 1, 2010 (LI GANG)
  • READY TO GO:The Long March 3C carrier rocket carrying the Chang'e-2 satellite is ready to launch at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province around 18:30 on October 1, 2010 (LI GANG)
  • BLASTOFF: The Long March 3C carrier rocket carrying China's second lunar probe Chang'e-2 successfully launches at 18:59:57 Beijing time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on October 1, 2010 (HE FANGMIN)
  • BLASTOFF: China's second lunar probe Chang'e-2 successfully launches at 18:59:57 Beijing time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on October 1, 2010 (HE FANGMIN)
  • BLASTOFF: China's second lunar probe Chang'e-2 successfully launches at 18:59:57 Beijing time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on October 1, 2010 (HE FANGMIN)
  • BLASTOFF: China's second lunar probe Chang'e-2 successfully launches at 18:59:57 Beijing time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on October 1, 2010 (HE FANGMIN)
Chang'e 2 blasted off aboard a Long March 3C carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, on October 1.

It is China's first unmanned spacecraft to be boosted from the launch site directly to the Moon, greatly reducing the journey time from that of its predecessor Chang'e 1.

China's second unmanned lunar probe, Chang'e 2, completed its second braking on October 8.

On its orbit just 15 km above the Moon, Chang'e 2 will take pictures of the Bay of Rainbows area, the proposed landing ground for the Chang'e 3 lunar probe.

Chang'e 1 took about 13 days to travel to a lunar orbit after orbiting the earth in a geosynchronous orbit and then transferring to the Earth-Moon route. Chang'e 2 is expected to travel for about 112 hours, or almost five days before reaching the moon.
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