A Chinese unmanned spacecraft landed on the moon - La Vanguardia

Shanghai. (Reuters) -. A Chinese ship unmanned arrived today Saturday Moon , the official Xinhua news agency , the first “soft landing” in the Earth’s satellite since 1976, joining the United States and the former Soviet Union to achieve that feat.

Chang’e 3, a probe that is named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology, carries with it the solar-powered vehicle Yutu, or “Jade Rabbit”, which has some geological studies.

China has been growing more ambitious in developing space programs for military, commercial and scientific purposes as acquired significance as economic and political power.

last space mission to China in June, three astronauts spent 15 days in orbit and coupled to an experimental space laboratory, which is part of Beijing’s plan to build a space station by 2020.

9:14 pm local time, the official news agency reported that the ship had landed on the moon in Rainbow Bay, after scan the surface for several minutes to find a suitable place. The soft landing has not caused damage to the ship and crew. In 2007, China put another lunar probe in orbit, which then made a controlled crash in the area.

chain China Central Television (CCTV) images issued on Saturday, and a computer generated image of the ship on the surface of the Moon in its web. The ship and the vehicle will photograph each morning, as planned.

the Rainbow Bay was chosen because it has yet to be studied, has much sunlight and is suitable for remote communications with Earth, Xinhua said . The vehicle is remotely controlled by centers of Chinese control from a network trace and from transmission stations worldwide operated by the European Space Agency.

For over a decade, China has been modernizing and developing its economy dominated by the West, particularly the United States areas. The landing will be seen as an example of China’s ability to embark on sophisticated space missions with potential dual use.

China is also developing its own satellite systems to compete with the American GPS satellites and has sold to other countries. The mission will be a source of national pride in the country you are living in difficult economic transitions.