China is now capable of probing the moon and will complete an unmanned lunar probe program in 13 years.

These remarks were made by Ouyang Ziyuan, the program's chief scientist, at the ongoing annual conference of the China Association of Science and Technology held in Boao, Hainan Province, Sunday.

The program will be carried out in three major stages: A moon orbiting probe, soft landing vehicles and moon roamers, and an automatic lunar sampling and return to Earth, Ouyang, also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told 3,000 scientists at the conference.

China can receive, process and decipher lunar probe data, according to Ouyang.

Ouyang noted the program will be an important step toward China's exploration of deep space, for the moon will provide a good platform for further exploration.

The program is also known as the Chang'e Program, named after a goddess who reached the moon in an ancient Chinese fairy tale.

Ouyang said a satellite dubbed Chang'e I will be launched to orbit the moon before 2007.

The satellite will obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, analyze the content of useful elements and materials, and probe the depth of the lunar soil and space between the Earth and the moon, Ouyang said.

Last year China became the third country in the world to send a man into space. Experts said earlier this month two Chinese astronauts will be sent next year on second manned space mission, expected to last several days.

(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2004)