China says it will launch 2 robots to the far side of the moon in December on an unprecedented lunar exploration mission
Credit:
Business Insider
China’s space agency this week shared new details about its upcoming Chang’e-4 mission, which aims to launch two robots to the far side of the moon.
The new mission, named after the mythical moon goddess Chang’e, is the fourth in an ongoing lunar exploration program. China ultimately hopes its technological progress will lead to a crewed lunar landing – the first since NASA’s Apollo program ended in 1972 – and perhaps domination of space around the moon.
Chinese officials said during a briefing on Wednesday that Chang’e-4 will rocket toward the moon in December. CCTV, a state-supervised media outlet, shared online video of the announcement event.
