China's Second Moon Orbiter Chang'e-2 Sends Data from 1.7 mln km away

China's second moon orbiter, the Chang'e-2, has sent back its first batch of data while orbiting the second Lagrange Point (L2) about 1.7 million kilometers away from Earth.

The orbiter is scheduled to travel around the L2 orbit until the end of 2012, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND).

The data it sent back was obtained by the orbiter's gamma-ray spectrometer, high-energy solar particle detector and solar wind ion detector while it travelling from the moon's orbit to its current position.

The Chang'e-2 will carry out exploration activities around the L2, such as monitoring high energy particles and solar winds.

(Source: Xinhua)