Posted: Sat, Dec 7, 2013, 10:02 AM ET (1502 GMT)
A Chinese spacecraft entered lunar orbit on Friday in preparation for a landing on the lunar surface in about a week. Chang'e-3 fired its main engine for six minutes on Friday, entering a 100-kilometer lunar orbit at 4:53 am EST (0953 GMT, 5:53 pm Beijing time) Friday, according to Chinese officials. Chang'e-3, which launched early Monday, is scheduled to land on the lunar surface in mid-December, most likely December 14. Chang'e-3 is China's third mission to the Moon, but will be its first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  The Planetary Society article
•  Xinhua article