Says Chang'e Image Has Two Craters, US Image Has One

Chinese officials deny an Internet rumor the first photo of the lunar surface from its Chang'e orbiter may have been plagiarized from NASA, according to Reuters.

China launched its first lunar probe, the Chang'e 1, in October. As ANN reported, Chinese officials released a detailed image (above) of the moon's cratered surface last week, hailing the mission as a "1000-year-old dream come true."

However, some Chinese Internet buffs say the image is almost identical to a 2005 lunar image from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

"There is absolutely no forgery," said Ouyang Ziyuan, the lunar probe's chief scientist.

Ziyuan asserts the similarities between the two images is due to the fact both probes aimed at the same area, the moon's southern hemisphere.

"But a careful examination will tell some small differences," Ouyang said. For example, he says, the Chinese photo showed two craters in a certain spot; the US image showed only one on the same spot, according to a Beijing News report.

"Maybe it's because the resolution of the American photo was not high enough or a new pit might have been generated by an asteroid hitting the moon between 2005 and 2007," Ouyang said.

"I understand the doubts of the Internet surfers. They hope the Chinese lunar probe can do well so they don't want the photo to turn out to be fake," he said.

A new three-dimensional image of the lunar surface from Chang'e 1 was made available on Sunday, as well some new data received from the satellite will be offered to the public soon.

The Chinese space program's ambitious plan is to offer scientific and military benefits, as well as create additional credibility for the nation.

China became only the third country to put a man into space using its own rocket in 2003, after the former Soviet Union and the United States. Later it sent two astronauts on a five-day flight on its Shenzhou VI mission in October 2005.

A third manned mission, Shenzhou VII, will launch next year that is scheduled to involve a space walk.

It appears that an Asian space race is on as other countries have also announced lunar plans. Japan shot its first lunar satellite into space in September and India plans for its satellite launch in 2008.

FMI: www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/cindex.html