2nd lunar probe expected to have enough fuel to return
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China's second unmanned lunar probe, Chang'e-2, is expected to have enough fuel to fly back to earth, the vice chief-designer of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) said Tuesday.
Chang'e-2 was carried into lunar orbit by a rocket, and only corrected once during the transfer from earth orbit to lunar orbit, so a large amount of fuel will be left after its mission, Zhou Jianliang, the vice chief-designer of BACC, said.
Zhou said there are three possible "fates" for Chang'e-2 after it finishes its six-month mission: landing on the moon; flying to outer space; or returning to earth. The fate of Chang'e-2 will be decided according to its condition when the mission is complete.
The Long March-3C carrier rocket took Chang'e-2 into space from southwest China on Oct. 1. The probe completed its final braking on Oct. 9 and is now orbiting the moon at a 100 km-high orbit.
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