China has successfully launched a Moon orbiter in the latest phase of a new space race.
China plans to land a probe on the Moon in five years' time. In 2003 it became the third country to put a man in space
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The Chang'e 1 is named after a legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon and never returned,
This circumlunar satellite will orbit the Moon for a year and will never return either - but the Chinese plan that, it is just the start of their lunar programme.
The Chang'e 1 was launched from Sichuan province just after 11am Irish time by a Chinese made Long March carrier rocket.
It will enter the Moon's orbit on 5 November and begin sending back photographs and data in late November.
The scientific goals are to capture 3-d images and to analyse the elements on the moon's surface - but this is also about establishing China as a power in space and displaying its ability to mount a technologically sophisticated mission.
It plans to put a probe on the Moon's surface in 2012 and to successfully return a second rover to Earth five years later. Manned missions to the Moon could well follow.
There has been a new interest in moon exploration - Japan launched an orbiter just weeks ago, India will follow in April and the US is also planning a launch next year.
