Broadbandindia Magazine

China planned to launch the Chang’e-2, the country’s second lunar probe, at the end of 2010, the State Administration of Science Technology and Industry for  National Defence said. The Chang’e-2 was to test key soft landing technologies for the Chang’e-3 and provide high-resolution photo images of the landing area, Xinhua news agency cited the administration as saying here.

China has made progress on six key technologies of Chang’e-2, including the lunar capture, orbit control and the research on high-resolution stereo camera, it said. Quoting Ye Peijian, chief designer of Chang’e-1, the country’s first moon probe, Xinhua reported that earlier that China’s three-stage moon mission could be defined as “orbiting”, “landing” and “returning”.