(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-11-03 08:20

China's lunar probe Chang'e-1 successfully carried out its first orbital correction Friday morning in a bid to ensure that it travels on the pre-set orbit.

Instructions for the orbital correction was issued by the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) at 10:25 a.m. Friday, when two small engines on Chang'e-1 were ignited to slightly modulate its trajectory.

Eight minutes later, the orbital correction completed.

The move, which was planned to be conducted on Thursday, was canceled as the probe was traveling on the expected trajectory in an "unexpected precisely" way after it left the earth orbit late Wednesday, said Wang Yejun, chief engineer of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

A second orbital correction might be carried out Sunday, said Wang.

Chang'e-1, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, blasted off on a Long March 3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m. on October 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

It entered earth-moon transfer orbit on Wednesday and is expected to arrive in the moon's orbit at 11:25 a.m. on November 5.