China plans to launch the Chang'e-2 lunar probe by the end of 2010, according to a September 8 statement released by the National Industrial Bureau for National Defense Science and Technology.

The satellite probe is equipped with six major technological advances over its predecessor, the Chang'e-1. Improvements have been made to the instrument's lunar capture, orbit control and high-resolution stereo camera capacities.

Wu Weiren, a senior engineer with the national lunar exploration program, stated that the plan is to launch Chang'e-2 by the end of the year. The satellite can reach lunar orbit within five days, compared to the Chang'e-1, which required nearly 14 days. The Chang'e-2 will also orbit 100 km closer than its predecessor, at around 15 km (9.3 miles) from the moon, while carrying a higher resolution camera.

The Chang'e-2 will test soft-landing and other technologies in preparation for the launch of the Chang'e-3, China's first unmanned landing on the moon slated for 2013. A moon rock sample will be returned to earth in 2017.

The Chang'e-1 was launched on October 2007, as part of China's ambitious three-stage moon mission, implemented in an effort to boost China's space exploration capacity to be on par with the U.S. and Russia. Named after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, the Chang?e-1 was a milestone in Chinese space power advancements.