China launched an experimental lunar orbiter early Friday. The unmanned spacecraft was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, southwest China atop a Long March-3C rocket.
The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense reported that early morning the rocket has been separated from its carrier and entered the Earth's orbit shortly after.
The mission will take about eight days and expected to land in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The lunar orbiter, developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, will conduct tests on re-entry and other technologies such as navigation and control, heat shield and trajectory design.
Space agency spokesman chief designer Hu Hao said that the re-entry of the spacecraft involves one or more "skips" off the Earth's atmosphere to slow it before final re-entry.
Experimental results are vital for the success launching of Chang'e-5, the country's first future probe to conduct a moon mission, reported Tribune.
Chang'e-5 landing on the moon is said to take place in 2017. The unmanned spacecraft will retrieve rock samples and will return to the Earth after. If the spacecraft's mission is successful, China will be the third country along with the United States and Russia to carry out a lunar mission.
China launched missions Chang'e-1 in 2007, and then Chang'e-2 in 2010 to cap the orbital phase. The second phase involved launching Chang'e-3 into the moon in Dec. 2013, carrying the country's first moon rover called Yuto. Chang'e-4 is a backup probe for Chang'e-3.
According to South China Morning Post, China hinted its willingness to launch a manned mission if officials decide to combine human spaceflight and lunar explorations in the future.
Next to the U.S. and Russia, China is the third country to have sent an astronaut into space. Yang Liwei, a military pilot, boarded Shenzhou 5 in 2003.