Chang'e (Chinese Lunar Exploration Program)

The Chang'e program is China's ambitious lunar exploration initiative, named after the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology. Launched in 2004, it comprises a series of spacecraft and landers designed to study the Moon's surface and gather crucial data for future missions. Notable achievements include the Chang'e 3 lander and rover in 2013, which explored the Moon's terrain, and Chang'e 4 in 2019, the first to land on the far side of the Moon. Recently, Chang'e 5 successfully returned Moon samples to Earth in 2020, advancing our scientific understanding of lunar geology and paving the way for potential human exploration.