Chang'e-3 Lunar Probe And Rover Boosted To The Moon Early Monday

China's first lunar mission was successfully launched in the early morning hours (local time) Monday. The Chang'e-3 lunar probe is planned to be the first Chinese spacecraft to make a soft landing on an extraterrestrial body, and is the first Moon lander to be launched this century.

The online source Astro Watch reports that the rover carried by Chang'e-3 is designed to survey the moon's geological structure as well as explore for natural resources. Chinese officials says that a telescope that will be erected on the moon will give humans their first look at the Earth's plasmasphere as well as study the moon's surface using radar.

Sun Huixian, deputy engineer-in-chief in charge of this second phase of China's lunar program, said that the mission is a step that will lead to exploration of other extraterrestrial bodies. "China's space exploration will not stop at the moon. Our target is deep space," he said.

(Image from Chinese television posted on YouTube)

FMI: www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/cindex.html