China launches rover for first landing on far side of moon: state media
The successful launch marked the start of a long journey to the far side of the moon for the Chang´e-4 mission.
By AFP
December 08, 2018
BEIJING: China launched a rover early Saturday morning destined to land on the far side of the moon, a global first that would boost Beijing´s ambitions to become a space superpower.
The Chang´e-4 lunar probe mission -- named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology -- launched on a Long March 3B rocket from the southwestern Xichang launch centre in the pre-dawn hours, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The successful launch marked the start of a long journey to the far side of the moon for the Chang´e-4 mission, which is expected to land around the New Year to carry out experiments and explore the untrodden terrain.
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