Article Posted on : - Jul 31, 2012

BEIJING (BNS): China is planning to conduct its first Moon landing mission in 2013 by launching the third lunar probe, Chang'e-3.

The spacecraft will be launched in the second half of next year, state-run Xinuha news agency reported on Monday quoting the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

The launch of Chang'e-3, named after the Chinese goddess of the Moon, would be part of the second step of China's three-phase lunar probe project of orbiting, landing and returning, it said.

According to plans, the Change-3 will initially hover about 4 meters above the Moon's surface and will then drop onto its surface.

The spacecraft will deploy a rover to explore lunar surface. The rover will carry a lunar "radar" and while operating on the surface, it could also scan several hundred meters under the surface, China Daily reported quoting a scientist associated with the programme.

The rover would also carry instruments to detect minerals on the Moon.

China launched its first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, in 2007, followed by the second spacecraft, Chang'e-2, in 2010.

While the first probe collected scientific data and created a complete map of the Moon, the second spacecraft helped create a set of high resolution lunar images it took during its orbit of Moon.

It also clicked high quality images of Moon's 'Sinus Iridium' or Bay of Rainbows area - the proposed landing site of Chang'e-3.

China's ambitious quest to explore the Moon would continue with the launch of Chang'e 4 and Chang'e-5 spacecraft, expected in 2015 and 2017.