China will launch a sample return mission to the Moon in 2017, officials say, while declaring complete success for the current Chang’e 3 mission to land and deploy a lunar rover.
The next mission, Chang’e 4, will be similar to the current effort, using a backup spacecraft and rover, but will be adapted to prove technologies for the sample-return mission, Chang’e 5, says Wu Zhijian, a spokesman for the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
Wu gave no schedule for Chang’e 4, but last year it was slated for 2015.
In 2017 Chang’e 5 will be China’s first space expedition to land on the Moon, collect samples and return them to Earth. Chang’e 6 is designed to do the same, following China’s habit of planning a pair of missions for each stage of its program to explore the Moon, in case of failure.
Stage two, to land and deploy a rover, has succeeded, says Ma Xingrui, chief commander of the lunar program and formerly the president of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., which builds most of the equipment for the lunar exploration program.
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