China launched a ground-breaking mission Saturday to land a spacecraft on the dark side of the moon. The launch showed China’s growing ambitions as…
China launched a ground-breaking mission Saturday to land a spacecraft on the dark side of the moon.
The launch showed China’s growing ambitions as a space power to rival the US, Russia and the European Union.
A Long March 3B rocket carrying a lunar probe blasted off at 2:23 a.m. from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province in southwestern China, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
With its Chang’e 4 mission, China hopes to be the first country to make a soft landing, which is a touchdown of a spacecraft during which no serious damage is incurred.
