Overview: China's major space programs in 2020
2. Chang'e 5 lunar probe
China plans to launch the Chang'e 5 lunar probe in 2020 to bring moon samples back to Earth. The Long March 5 carrier rocket, China's current largest launch vehicle, will be used to send the probe into space.
China's current lunar program includes three phases: orbiting, landing, and returning. The first two phases have been accomplished, and the next step is to launch the Chang'e 5 probe to collect 2 kg of moon samples and bring them back to the earth.
China has launched four lunar probes since 2007. In December 2013, the third probe became the first Chinese spacecraft to land on the lunar surface and release the first Chinese lunar rover.
The ongoing Chang'e 4 mission, launched in December, has given mankind its first close look at the moon's far side - a region that never faces Earth - accomplishing a goal sought by scientists for decades.
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