China's milestone lunar orbiter project only costs 1 to 1.4
billion yuan (about 133 to 187 million U.S. dollars), the same
amount as the money used to construct two kilometers of subway in
Beijing, said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of the lunar
exploration program.
Ouyang said the amount is not an astronomical number for China's
economy and will boost the development of national science and
technology instead.
"It will generate many new scientific subjects and train a group
of talents in aerospace field," he said.
China launched its first lunar probe on Wednesday, marking a new
milestone in the country's space exploration history.
The circumlunar satellite Chang'e-1 blasted off on a Long March
3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m. from the No. 3 launching tower in
the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan
Province.
(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2007)