China Ready to Launch First Moon Orbiter

China’s space administration said Monday it is preparing to launch a moon orbiter, marking the country’s first step in lunar exploration.

The orbiter is expected to be launched this week from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, Xinhua reported.

The announcement said the Chang’e I satellite named after a goddess who flew to the moon and its rocket Long March 3A had passed all prelaunch tests and have been moved to the launch site.

The orbiter is expected to arrive in lunar orbit early next month after which it will gather data for a year.

The Wall Street Journal said a successful launch will further heat up the race between China and Japan to become the first Asian nation to eventually put a man on the moon. Japan launched a similar orbiter last month.

Similar unmanned lunar probes are planned next year by the United States and India, the Journal reported.

China has also sent astronauts into space — only the third country to do so after the United States and Russia.

Lunar exploration reflects a country’s comprehensive national power, Ouyang Ziyuan, head of China’s moon program, was quoted as telling the People’s Daily.