新华网北京１２月１４日电，传说中的嫦娥轻挥衣袖就飞上了“广寒宫”，而有着相同名字的中国探测器——嫦娥三号在发射升空１２天之后，终于开始登陆月球。 １２月１４日２１时，它们相距１５公里。这是中国航天器历史上最接近月球的地方。３年前，嫦娥二号曾在这里久久俯瞰下方那道虹一般优美的弧线——科学家们为嫦娥三号软着陆选定的月球虹湾区。 这一次，在嫦娥二号获得的超高分辨率图像引导下，嫦娥三号将涉足这片未曾有过地球访客的区域。 随着首次应用于中国航天器的空间变推力发动机开机，以每秒钟１．７公里速度环月飞行的嫦娥三号实施动力下降。北京飞控中心的仿真图像显示，此前已收起一对太阳翼“翅膀”的嫦娥三号，舒展着４条金属色着陆腿遨游太空，像个憨态可掬的机器人。作为缓冲机构，这些“腿”将在落月时吸收冲击能量，保证探测器安全着陆。
“Chang’e” fell on the Moon Palace --- Witness of lunar probe Chang’e-3 soft landing Dec.14. Xinhua Net reported that the Chinese probe, with the same name as the fabulous woman called “Chang’e” who softly waved her sleeves and then flight to the Moon Palace, finally started landing on the moon after its launch 12 days ago. On Dec.14, 9 pm the distance between Chang’e-3 and the moon is 15 kilometers. There is the closest position to the moon in Chinese spacecraft history. There is the place where Chang’e-2 once overlooking the under arc line as beautiful as a rainbow for such a long time three years ago. There is the moon rainbow bay now for Chang’e-3 probe’s soft landing according to the scientists. Under the guide of ultra high resolution image getting from Chang’e-2 this time, Chang’e-3 will be involved in the unseen area where no visitors from the earth found it before. As the first application in the space variable thrust engine of Chinese spacecraft starting up, the implementation initiative of Chang’e-3 whose speed to flight around the moon is 1.7 kilometers per second lowered. The simulation image in Beijing flight control center shows that we have already received the Chang'e-3 with a pair of solar wings, which shows its four metallic landing legs to travel the space, just like a darling robot. As the buffer mechanism, these legs are supposed to absorb the impact energy when the spacecraft lands and ensure that the probe will land safely.
