China readies first trip to the moon

The third Chinese lunar unmanned probe, the “Chang E III”, will be released later this year, and will be the first mission to perform a landing on the moon, today announced the State Administration of Science and Technology of China through the Xinhua news agency.
The probe has already been built and is in the phase of preparations for the launch, said a statement of administration, also responsible for the development of industry for national defense.
China launched its first lunar mission, “Chang EI”, in October 2007, and the second earth satellite flew in the same month but 2010.
In both cases, for months satellites orbited around the moon, will collect images and information, and once finished their period of activity crashed into the lunar soil, as expected.
China plans include sending a fourth probe in 2015, another in 2017 (this will be the first landing on the moon after return to Earth) and later, on a date set yet, future manned missions to the surface selenite.