China launches first lunar probe
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Embarking on an ambitious 10-year moon exploration program, China launched its first lunar probe Wednesday Â a leap forward in the Asian space race that gave a boost to national pride, and the promise of scientific and military payoffs.
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China is preparing for the take-off of its first Moon probe, weeks after rival Japan launched a lunar explorer.
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&#39;Europeâs first lunar spacecraft is set to go into orbit around the Moon on Monday. SMART-1 has already reached the âgatewayâ to the Moon, the region where its gravity starts to dominate that of the Earth.
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PASADENA, CALIF. - A space probe has begun a 21-day freefall toward Saturn&#39;s largest moon in a mission that scientists hope will shed light on the development of life on Earth.
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China's preparations to launch its  first lunar orbiter are on schedule for lift-off later this  week, a Chinese official said on Monday, as the country steps  up efforts in a new international race for the moon.
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Europe&#39;s first mission to the moon, SMART-1, has been placed in orbit around the moon. European Space Agency (ESA) science director David Southwood says the moon&#39;s gravity captured the probe Monday.
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PARIS, France -- Europe&#39;s first mission to the moon has successfully entered lunar orbit, a key milestone in its 13-month trip into space.
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Europe&#39;s first Moon probe, SMART-1, was put into its lunar orbit on Monday evening as planned, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced here Tuesday.
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China claimed to have carried out a successful first test Thursday on its experimental thermonuclear fusion reactor.
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China has launched an experimental navigation satellite into space, state press reported, the nation's first space launch since it tested a satellite-killing missile last month.
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Media trumpets Chang'e One mission China this morning sucessfully sent on its way the Chang'e One lunar orbiter from the southwestern province of Sichuan, amid much patriotic trumpeting of the country's technological prowess.â¦
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China launched its first lunar probe Wednesday, the first step in an ambitious 10-year plan to send a rover to the moon and return it to earth
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A dishwasher-sized spacecraft on Europe's first mission to the moon was set to enter lunar orbit, a key milestone in its 13-month trip into space, the European Space Agency said.
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The launch of the nation's first lunar orbiter signals the beginning of China's long-range goal of sending a rover to the moon's surface and returning it to Earth.
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BEIJING - China sent a satellite rocketing toward lunar orbit last night, the latest step in an ambitious national program to shoot more astronauts into space, build a space station, and eventually land Chinese astronauts on the moon.
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All systems are finally go for Japan's first lunar orbiter, which is scheduled for launch on Aug. 16, officials announced Wednesday.
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By ERIC TALMADGE TOKYO - All systems are finally go for Japan's first lunar orbiter, which is scheduled for launch on Aug. 16, officials announced Wednesday.