China's lunar probe Chang'e 5 to land on moon and return back to Earth in second half of 2017

China is all set to send its lunar probe named Chang’e 5 to the Moon. The Lunar probe Chang’e 5 will land on the Moon, will collect samples and will come back to Earth in second half of 2017. It will be the first such attempt, officials have said. This will be for the first time that a Chinese probe would land on Moon’s surface, collect samples and return, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) said. This will be the third stage of the country’s lunar exploration endeavour, it said.

In 2007, the first stage of China’s lunar expedition Chang’e 1, a circumlunar satellite, was achieved. China’s first lunar probe Chang’e 3 landed on Moon in 2013. China also has plans to become the first country to reach on the far side of the moon.

Chang’e-4, a backup for Chang’e-3, will carry out the mission which will be launched in 2018, according to SASTIND. China has plans to orbit Mars, land and deploy a rover around 2020.

A new generation of carrier rockets including Long March 5 and 7 was also launched by China in 2016, along with other new satellites and spacelabs, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.