China plans to land on the back side of the Moon

In the interview with Chinese television CCTV for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zou Yongliao said that until 2020, they will send the lander on the back side of the Moon. If successful, this will be the first in the history of mankind landing on the back side.

The mission of "Chang'e-4" is scheduled before 2020 and its purpose is to study the geological conditions on the uncharted side of the moon. It is assumed that the "Chang'e-4", like its predecessor, "Chang'e-3" will have a small rover. In future studies on the back side (on the lunar rover can be installed spectrograph RF) may lead to the deployment of a radio telescope that will help scientists to "fill the void" in the knowledge of the humankind about the universe. It is believed that the radio signals from Earth are not able to interfere with the receiver located on the side of the moon, which makes it ideal for placement of the Radio Astronomy Observatory.

In 2017, China will try to repeat the Soviet mission of automatic stations which delivered samples of lunar soil. China will be the third country after the United States and the Soviet Union to deliver soil samples from the moon to Earth.