China to launch Chang'e-3 lunar probe in early Dec. (9)

BEIJING, Nov. 26 -- China is scheduled to launch Chang'e-3 lunar probe in early December, a spokesman with State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) said Tuesday.

The lunar probe will land on the moon in mid-December if everything is successful, said SASTIND spokesman Wu Zhijian.

Chang'e-3, encompassing a lander and a moon rover, will mark the first time for a Chinese spacecraft to soft-land on the surface of an extraterrestrial body.

The Chang'e-3 mission is the second phase of China's lunar program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth.