China to Explore Dark Side of the Moon

China’s exploration into space will make further progress with an anticipated landing of a space probe on the far side of the moon.

Their plans were announced by the Xinhua news agency. According to cbsnews.com, China’s probe is expected to happen in 2018, and will be the “first lunar probe on the far side of the  moon–the hemisphere that faces away from Earth.”

Chief to China’s State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense’s lunar center, Liu Jizhong, said China previously thought this milestone would not be achieved until the year 2020.

However, its Chang’e-4 probe “will be able to handle more payload, and will be sent out to study the geology of the moon’s dark hemisphere.”  The determination made from a previous probe by Change’e-3, launched in December 2013, which continues to send data back to the Earth.  The unmanned craft marked “the first soft-landing on the moon,” by China.

A future mission is already being planned following Chang’e- 4. China will launch the Chang’e-5 lunar probe, which is currently in development, according to Liu.

Currently China’s space exploration is backed by government funding. However, it says it “is looking to open up its space exploration to projects that are beyond those solely backed by the government.”

Last Spring, China said it would open up its lunar exploration programs to external companies, and sent out a “letter of intent of cooperation” about its new mission to other countries in early 2015, according to the Xinhua news agency.