<p>The satellite has been installed on a Long March 3C launch vehicle, while the third pre-launch comprehensive drill finished on Saturday at Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province.<br /><br />The countdown for the launch of the Chang'e-2, named after Chinese mythical moon goddess has begun, said Ouyang Ziyuan, the chief scientist of China's lunar exploration team.<br /><br />The only preparation work that now remains to be done is adding fuel to the rocket, he told the state-run Global Times daily.<br /><br />To ensure the safety of local residents, officials at the Xichang Centre held a meeting with the local government yesterday to evacuate them from nearby areas.<br />Experts from the centre said residents with in the six km radius should be evacuated for safety.<br /><br />The main mission of Chang'e-2 probe is to test soft-landing technologies for Chang'e-3 lunar landing mission planned for 2013, which will be followed by a manned moon mission in 2025.<br /><br />If successfully launched, the Chang'e-2 will take five days to reach its pre-set orbit, almost eight days faster than its predecessor, the Chang'e-1, and 100 km closer to the Moon.<br /><br />The Chang'e-2 carries a laser altimeter and a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that can produce high-resolution 3-D images.<br /><br />The two devices will help find a suitable landing site for China's first lunar Lander and rover, the Chang'e-3, which is expected to launch before 2013.<br />The Chang'e-1 satellite, launched on October 24, 2007, marked an end to a series of missions, including the launch and orbiting test and a number of exploration tasks, before it ended its mission in 2009.<br /><br />China has dispatched ships fitted with heavy satellite dishes to specific point for satellite tracking and to provide back up support for the mission.</p>
<p>The satellite has been installed on a Long March 3C launch vehicle, while the third pre-launch comprehensive drill finished on Saturday at Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province.<br /><br />The countdown for the launch of the Chang'e-2, named after Chinese mythical moon goddess has begun, said Ouyang Ziyuan, the chief scientist of China's lunar exploration team.<br /><br />The only preparation work that now remains to be done is adding fuel to the rocket, he told the state-run Global Times daily.<br /><br />To ensure the safety of local residents, officials at the Xichang Centre held a meeting with the local government yesterday to evacuate them from nearby areas.<br />Experts from the centre said residents with in the six km radius should be evacuated for safety.<br /><br />The main mission of Chang'e-2 probe is to test soft-landing technologies for Chang'e-3 lunar landing mission planned for 2013, which will be followed by a manned moon mission in 2025.<br /><br />If successfully launched, the Chang'e-2 will take five days to reach its pre-set orbit, almost eight days faster than its predecessor, the Chang'e-1, and 100 km closer to the Moon.<br /><br />The Chang'e-2 carries a laser altimeter and a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that can produce high-resolution 3-D images.<br /><br />The two devices will help find a suitable landing site for China's first lunar Lander and rover, the Chang'e-3, which is expected to launch before 2013.<br />The Chang'e-1 satellite, launched on October 24, 2007, marked an end to a series of missions, including the launch and orbiting test and a number of exploration tasks, before it ended its mission in 2009.<br /><br />China has dispatched ships fitted with heavy satellite dishes to specific point for satellite tracking and to provide back up support for the mission.</p>