China's space exploration is being fueled by the country's responsibility toward mankind, said a chief designer on the latest lunar probe project.

"The most fundamental task for human beings' space exploration is to research human origins and to find a sustainable way for mankind to live and develop," said Qian Weiping, who oversees work on the Chang'e-2 mission's tracking and control system.

Although lagging behind Russia and the United States, "China, as a major country, has the responsibility to participate in activities in outer space for peaceful use and make its own contribution", he said.

Chang'e-2, China's first unmanned spacecraft to be boosted from the launch site directly to the earth-moon transfer orbit, completed its first braking on Wednesday, which decelerated the satellite and successfully allowed it to enter a 12-hour orbit, according to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.

It started the first braking at 11:06 am and entered the 12-hour elliptical moon orbit 32 minutes later.

The satellite needs to brake twice more before it can enter the designed 118-minute working orbit.

To acquire more detailed moon data, Chang'e-2 will enter a lower lunar orbit about 100 km above the surface, compared with the 200-km altitude of Chang'e-1, according to the control center.

Qian said China's vision of lunar probes and manned space flights is due to a sense of responsibility, rather than the need to follow in the footsteps of other countries.

"Once our mind is made up we will do it, no matter how many years later," said the designer. "However, we can never go beyond scientific rules and find a shortcut.

"What we're doing now is what others did 40 years ago, but that doesn't mean we're lagging behind by 40 years," he said, adding that the country's levels of telecommunication networks and scientific understanding, based on the progress in science and technology, are much more advanced than they were decades ago.

"We will narrow the gap fast," he insisted.

Some 40 years ago, Russia and the US were the only countries to have sent people into space. During the US Apollo 11 mission in 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon.

China's space talents are outstanding and young, said Qian, who revealed that the average age of the design team for the country's manned and lunar probe projects is just a little over 30.

Yet, a lunar probe was only the first step in China's quest for deep space exploration, said Qian. "We will walk on this road step by step -- scientifically and gradually," he added.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, China successfully launched two environmental research satellites from north China's Shanxi Province.

With a designed lifespan of more than two years, the two satellites of the Shijian VI-04 group will carry out probes on space environment and radiation and conduct space science experiments, according to the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

(China Daily October 7, 2010)