Posted: Mon, Dec 2, 2013, 7:01 AM ET (1201 GMT)
A Long March rocket lifted off early Monday and placed China's first lunar lander mission on a trajectory towards the Moon. The Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 12:30 pm EST Sunday (1730 GMT Sunday, 1:30 am Beijing time Monday) carrying the Chang'e-3 spacecraft. The rocket placed the spacecraft on a translunar trajectory, arriving at the Moon in four days. Chang'e-3 will go into orbit around the Moon before landing in the Sinus Iridum region on December 14. Chang'e-3 is China first lunar lander mission, and the Chang'e-1 and -2 lunar orbiters, and also carries a rover named Yutu, or jade rabbit.

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  Nature News article
•  AP article
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•  Xinhua article