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A Long March 3B rocket blasts off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, Sichuan Province of China.
China launched the Chang’e 4 spacecraft atop a Long March 3B rocket on Friday, in a milestone mission to land a rover with several scientific instruments on the far side of the moon.
While the dark side of the moon has been seen and mapped before, the successful landing of Chang’e 4 would represent the first time any spacecraft has landed there. The mission is part of China’s heavy investment in lunar exploration and growing capabilities in outer space through the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
Chang’e 4 comes about two years after China made the first soft landing on the moon since 1976. Similar in design to that Change’3 craft and its “Jade Rabbit” rover, the Chang’e 4 spacecraft will carry a bigger payload and more capabilities. CNSA will use the craft to study geological conditions on the far side of the moon.
It will take Chang’e 4 about three days to travel to the moon, where it will spend about three weeks in orbit. The lander and rover are expected to touch down on the Von Kármán crater sometime around Jan. 1. The crater is a relatively flat spot on the moon’s far side, according to a GB Times report, although the landing will present a host of new challenges for the CNSA. The rover will be able to communicate to with Earth thanks to a relate satellite which China launched into lunar orbit in May.
The Chang’e name comes from the Chinese goddess of the Moon. In the ancient tale, Chang’e took an elixir which killed her. When she flew to the heavens, she landed on the moon as her final resting place.
