A Long March-5 rocket carrying the Chang'e 5 lunar mission lifts off at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Wenchang in southern China's Hainan Province, early Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020.
Changโe 5 โ named for the Chinese moon goddess โ is the countryโs boldest lunar mission yet.
If successful, it would be a major advance for Chinaโs space program, and some experts say it could pave the way for bringing samples back from Mars or even a crewed lunar mission.
โScientific needs and technical and economic conditionsโ would determine whether China decides to send a crewed mission to the moon, said Pei, whose comments were embargoed until after the launch.
Chinaโs space program has progressed cautiously, with relatively few setbacks in recent years.