China To Visit Unexplored Moon Territory, Bring Back Lunar Rocks: China: Business Times

China is set to make several space breakthroughs. First, in December, it will launch the first-ever spacecraft to land on another part of the moon that has not been visited in the past by astronauts. In 2019, it has been prepared to be another one that will take off to the moon. This has not been done since 1976.

These two breakthrough space missions are part of the nation's lunar exploration series is named after the Chinese moon Goddess Chang-e.

Specifically, Chang'e-4 has set its sights on exploring the moon's largest, deepest and possibly known feature created by an impact, the South Pole-Aitken Basin, on the lunar farside. This side is the one facing away from Earth.

These missions are also part of the world's interest to explore the moon, the nearest celestial body. Apart from China, India, Israel, Germany, and the United States have their own missions planned. India's space agency and then some private companies located in Israel and Germany are all planning their respective robotic lunar missions by 2019.

On the other hand, the United States is preparing for astronauts to orbit the moon starting in 2013. It also plans to landing astronauts on the lunar surface by the late 2020s.

If China's missions are successful, additional rock can be discovered and sampled. According to David Blewett of John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the Chang'e-5 sample return mission can no doubt lead to these amazing discoveries. Currently, scientists have only sampled rocks from parts of the moon, and there are more areas to get samples from. "If you came to Earth and landed in Great Britain and made all of your conclusions about the Earth from what you saw … you really would not have the whole picture," Blewett explained.

In earlier news, it was also reported that China is planning to launch an artificial moon by 2020. The project, set on Chengdu, involves the development of satellite illumination, which can be done in tandem with the current moon. If designed well, the nation could launch the first human-made moon from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan. Three more will be made in 2022 if this first one is successful.