By Katia Moskvitch. Science reporter, BBC News, 1 October 2010
A Chinese rocket carrying a probe destined for the Moon has blasted into space. The rocket will shoot the craft into the trans-lunar orbit, after which the satellite is expected to reach the Moon in about five days.
Chang'e-2 will be used to test key technologies and collect data for future landings. China says it will send a rover on its next mission, and it also has ambitions to put humans on the surface of the lunar body at some future date.