CHANG'E-2 LAUNCH: Oct. 1, 2010 LANDING SITE: None MISSION: The uncrewed Chang'e 2 orbited the moon and tested a 100-kilometre-high lunar orbit to prepare for a soft landing of Chang'e-3. It later extended its mission with a fly-by of a near-earth asteroid "4179 Toutatis". DURATION: The mission lasted eight months, ending on June 9, 2011.
FACTBOX-China's missions to the moon - past, present and future devdiscourse.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from devdiscourse.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
China on Friday launched a mission to collect samples from the moon's "hidden" side, a first in space exploration history. See what other explorations China has made for its lunar mission and what else it has planned.
China Showcases its Lunar Exploration Plans universetoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from universetoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.