China's upcoming lunar probe fantastic: US expert

HOUSTON - China's upcoming launch of Chang'e-3 lunar probe is "fantastic" and its space program "impressive", a US space expert said.

"I think it's fantastic. It has been a long time since human has been on the Moon," David Alexander, director of Rice University's space institute, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Chang'e-3, named after a legendary Chinese moon goddess, will be the first time for China to send a spacecraft to soft land on the surface of an extraterrestrial body, where it will conduct surveys on the moon.

Alexander, who has been watching closely the development of China's space program, said China's progress is "impressive".

China has "planned each stage and is taking their time", the professor said. "They haven't said that we are going to the Moon in two years. They said, 'We are going to build up the capability.' So I feel that when they come to lower earth orbit, they have done very well with that," he added.

The professor also warned that this moon trip is full of challenges as landing a spacecraft is more difficult than just orbiting. Choosing a landing site that is both safe and scientifically-interesting is quite challenging, said the expert.

Admitting that sending human to the moon is "a big jump", Alexander believed that China will make the dream come true in the near future.

"I think they are taking a very sensible approach and are doing it by stages, making sure they develop their capability, but they have done very well in a relatively short time and I have no doubt they will reach their goal of sending a human to the moon at some point in the near future," he said.

Chang'e-3 comprises a lander and a moon rover, and the tasks for the rover include surveying the moon's geological structure and surface substances, while looking for natural resources.

So far, only the United States and the former Soviet Union have soft-landed on the moon.