China plans to launch third unmanned moon probe around 2013
Xinhua
China plans to launch its third unmanned probe to the moon, Chang’e-3, around 2013 and expects to complete the three-phase moon mission in 2017, an official said here Wednesday.
The remarks by Ye Peijian, chief designer of Chang’e-1, the country’s first moon probe, and chief commander of Chang’e-2 and Chang’e-3, followed presentations by two space exploration experts last week.
The Chang’e-3 mission will include an unmanned soft landing on the moon and the release of a moon rover to prospect the surface and interior of the moon, Ye told Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, China’s top political advisory body.
Ye, also a member of the CPPCC National Committee, said the Chang’e-3 mission has made “good progress” in its prototype development stage and he believed the mission would be carried out as scheduled after overcoming a variety of difficulties.
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