China plans lunar landing as early as 2013

According to the China Daily, China plans make their first moon probe by the year 2013. This was announced a year after China became the third country, behind the United States and Russia, to walk on the moon. The spaceship that will make the probe, called Chang'e III, is named after a legendary moon goddess.

"The mission of Chang'e III is to make soft landing and probe the moon, said Ye, a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body." In order to test the landing technology, China will launch Chang'e II in 2011.

This is part of China's three-part space mission, which should conclude in 2020. The three parts of the mission are orbiting, landing, and returning. The first part was completed when Chang'e I landed on the moon this past Sunday.

Chang'e IV will also be launched during the second phase of the mission; however, further detail was not released.

- Jessica Wenger (CHINA)