China's first lunar orbiter Chang'e-1, which is now circling the moon at a stable altitude of 200 km, has opened its facilities to transmit data back to earth, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said Tuesday.

The facilities will be tested over the next few days which will help ensure smooth operation of the probe and reliable data transmission, spokesman Pei Zhaoyu said.

By 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Chang'e-1 had orbited the moon 158 times and was in good condition, he said.

The satellite has gone through a number of tests since it entered the moon's orbit on Nov. 7 and adjusted its position to point its probing facilities toward the moon on Monday.

Monday's maneuvers also positioned the probe's solar panel toward the sun and the directional antenna toward the earth to allow data to be transmitted back to earth.

Chang'e-1 is expected to start working soon after the tests are done and will relay its first picture of the moon in late November.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2007)