(Sen) - China will launch an unmanned lunar rover in the second
half of 2013, according to the State Administration for Science,
Technology and Industry for National Defence, reported the
Xinhua news agency this week. Chang'e-3 will be China's third
Moon orbiter and has the aim of landing a robotic rover on the
lunar surface. The lunar program's chief scientist said
Chang’e-3 will land on the Moon and explore its surface. It is
expected to lift off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in
southwest China. China's first two lunar probes, Chang'e-1 and
Chang'e-,2 launched in 2007 and 2010 respectively and
successfully entered the Moon's orbit. Chang'e-1 gathered a
complete map of the Moon whilst Chang'e 2 captured a higher
resolution map, with images released in February this year. The
Chang'e probes, named after the Chinese goddess of the Moon, are
part of a three phase plan - orbit, land, return. Phase 1 was
achieved with the first two Chang'e probes. Next year's mission
is part of the landing phase. The t