New Delhi, Nov.24: The first picture of the moon captured by China's first lunar orbiter, Chang'e-1, is expected to be ready for publication within three days.

According to a Xinhua report, data of the original picture taken by the satellite has now been transmitted back to Earth.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said that the stereo camera aboard Chang'e-1 was put into operation and afterward, the satellite sent back its first batch of data for the moon picture.

"The data is currently being processed and analyzed to produce the first real picture of the moon," said a CNSA official.

The image's processing and production would take two to three days, the official said, adding that the camera could cover the whole moon surface within a month.

Chang'e-1, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, blasted off a Long March 3A carrier rocket at 6:05 p.m. on October 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan Province.

The satellite traveled nearly two million kilometers in its 15-day flight to the moon before it reached its final working orbit. (ANI)