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Lunar Exploration
China views lunar exploration as the first step of its deep space exploration effort. The current Chang’e robotic lunar probing programme has been running since 2003, and has sent two lunar orbiting probes to the lunar orbit in 2007 and 2010.
In the second phase of the programme, an unmanned probe will soft land on the Moon surface and deploy a lunar rover to explore the Moon surface. The third phase of the programme, which is expected to commence around 2016, will retreat samples of lunar soil and return it to the Earth in a capsule.
The Chang’e Programme consists of five main systems: Chang’e lunar probe spacecraft, launch vehicle, launch site, TT&C network, and earthbound applications. Early missions of the Chang’e Programme have been launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre onboard the Changzheng 3 series launch vehicle. The third phase missions will be launched from the newly constructed Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre in Hainan, onboard the Changzheng 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle.
China is also conducting preliminary research on the feasibility of a manned lunar landing mission, which may see Chinese astronauts on the Moon surface by 2025~2030.
Lunar Exploration Missions
| Missions | Purposes | Launch | Duration | Ending |
| Chang'e 1 | First robotic lunar orbiting probe, 200km lunar orbit | 2007-10-24 | 494 days | 2009-03-01 |
| Chang'e 2 | Second robotic lunar orbiting probe, 100km/15km lunar orbit | 2010-10-01 | - | - |
| Chang'e 3 | First lunar soft landing; deployment of lunar rover | 2013 | - | - |
Last updated: 8 February 2012