Engineers monitor the progress of Chang'e I at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center yesterday. Xu Jingxing

The downpour that started in Xichang in the wee hours of Tuesday stopped around 10 am yesterday. The sun shone bright again on the small city in Sichuan Province. The vast expanse of green and the mountains in the background on both sides of the road leading to the launch site looked serene.

Nothing was unusual - the late autumn rain, the sunshine, the farmers working. But yesterday, October 24, 2007, was not a usual day, for waiting in a valley was China's moon orbiter Chang'e I atop the Long March 3 A to blast off into space on its 380,000-km journey to the moon.

As a precaution, people were evacuated from villages near launch site. The operation began around 4 pm. By 5 pm the whole valley looked deserted.

Ten minutes later, the blue triangle-shaped cover began opening gradually, revealing the slim, white carrier rocket to the world.

Tension began mounting among reporters gathered there to cover the launch. But they had a lot to do to kill the tense moments. Standing on a platform about 1.5 km away from the launch pad, they began jotting down every detail.

Sirens went off at 5:50 pm, signaling that the moment the country had been waiting for so anxiously for years was here. Workers at the launch site ran to safe places.

At 6 pm, the loudspeakers sprang to life. Five minutes to take off.

People took out their cameras and cell phones, ready to shoot video clips.

Three minutes to go; two minutes; one minute.

Suddenly, a loud voice began the countdown: "10, 9, 8,..., 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition, launch!"

Soon white smoke began rising from the launch pad, followed by flames. And then "thunder" struck - the rocket was rising slowly but stably.

Soon Chang'e I was on its way to Earth's only satellite.

But after 25 seconds, it disappeared into the clouds that were still hovering over the valley. The thunder remained, though.

With the orbiter lost to the human eyes and the thunderous sound trailing into space after a while, the valley regained its quiet, serene self. Villagers walked back home, and within minutes life returned to normal.

Beijing front

5:30 pm: The newsroom at Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC). Loud noises fill up the air. Continuous phone calls, relentless typing on laptops, people asking each other in raised but indistinct voices. Reporters, a hundred of them, seemed equally tense.

The moment of truth was fast approaching.

As the last minutes started ticking away amid tension, journalists began to either look at each other or rushed desperately through their backpacks for pen and paper.

But even after the countdown was over, no fire could be seen. The tension was palpable. Everyone looked puzzled for a brief second before laughter broke out in the room.

But why was there no instant fire? Because it was a simulated ignition.

But the crowd including many tourists that had gathered to see the lift-off didn't lose its enthusiasm. Every public announcement of the satellite's progress sounded like music to the ears and was followed by short bursts of joy.

But the real time to celebrate was still some heart-stopping moments away, scientists looking lost in worry told reporters. It's a complicated mission after all. And a lift-off signifies only an initial fraction of triumph.

Everyone expected the final hooray, to come with Chang'e I separating from its carrier rocket and entering into orbit and unfolding its solar panel.

Reporters didn't truly understand what it all meant, but the space scientists had every reason to be patient. This was mankind's 124th attempt at lunar probe and China's first. Only 58 of the earlier probes have been succeeded.

The room fell silent again, with all eyes on the three giant screens in the newsroom, telecasting CCTV's live coverage of the event and real-time updates from the Xichang launch center.

Finally, Xichang center director Li Shangfu came on stage and announced that the satellite launch was a success. Suddenly, Beijing's chilly autumn night gave in to the warmth of joy. And Chang'e I hugged us all good night.

(China Daily 10/25/2007 page7)